Love and Ice
by Patukum-chan
Summary: Inuyasha took Kikyou with his child, shunning Kagome. She runs away, only to fall into someone she didn't expect Sesshoumaru? The lord grows fond of her, but Kagome can't return the affection. NEVER TO BE FINISHED.
1. Twin Surprise

My first Inuyasha fanfic. It sucks. Oh yes, this is sad. Depressed maybe. Thanks to me! Praise sadness!

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Love and Ice

"Twin Surprise"

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Kagome was heart broken.

Inuyasha was outside Kaede's hut listening to the muffled cries from his mate. The said girl inside the hut had taken a spell and practically bound and gagged Kagome to the Goshinboku. Not very long afterwards, she had met up with Inuyasha there. And for the reason why Kagome's heart was shattered, she couldn't explain to merely Sango, nor the perverted monk.

"Inuyasha." said Kikyo, staring into his golden eyes. Her hands on his shoulders, his on her waist. It was the perfect setting. The perfect scene for two lovers...

"Kikyou." Inuyasha replied.

Tightening his grip on her, Inuyasha looked into her dead-brown eyes, and wished she were one of the realms of the living. But seeing her, holding her, he didn't care is she was alive or dead... as long as she was with him. Looking on her parted lips, he leaned in and she did the same and kissed which like felt like forever.

Kagome had been out looking for some fire wood, when she captured by Kikyou. With a binding spell of dead souls she was tied to the Sacred Tree. Inuyasha, being the ever curious hanyou he was, went to search for her after it had been too long just to look for wood and stumbled upon the scene of Kikyou looking at Kagome, with blue lights around Kagome, holding her to tree.

Just like before.

His breath had cut short when Kikyou said she loved him, and had to capture Kagome or else she'd have no chance of confessing her love. When they kissed, Kagome's heart broke into a million pieces and scattered across the seven seas...

The bonds on her loosened and she fell to the earth, looking at the two. Kikyou-sama... Kikyou-sama... She ran from the two and to the village.

How could he?

Three days later Inuyasha came back, holding hands with Kikyou and told everyone, that she was pregnant. No one said a word, not even Kaede. Kirara even stopped playing with Shippou just look at the two. Kagome ran out the hut crying until she got to the well, and just jumped in, not caring that she left her bag in the hut.

She came back a week later saying ,"I'm just here to get all the shards of the Shikon no Tama, then I'm never coming back to Feudal Era, defeating Naraku will be someone else's job, not mine.

"As your reincarnation," she said looking at Kikyou, "I will collect them and take them back to my time, where no one will take them away. And no trouble will ever come back to me; for everyone else in this time, it might be different. But with the jewel gone, less corruption will occur."

Kikyou screamed with agony, "IT HURTS!"

Inuyasha couldn't take it anymore, he ran into the hut to help his mate through the pain. Kagome, sitting at least seven feet from the hut's door, burned a hole in the ground with her eyes. The monk wistfully glanced at the door, and sighed.

Somewhere inside Kagomemade a small sound like a giggle (if you considered laughing while sobbing actual laughing), _if she thinks that giving birth is the only thing that brings you pain, she's got another thing coming._ But thenKagome thought of what she just mentally said, and welled up in tears. _I still can't believe Inuyasha doesn't love me, the only reason they love each other, is because they each have one thing in common... pain. They can't show their feelings, as they did fifty years ago._

Hearing a cry from Kikyou once again just made her well up in new tears. "Kagome, this must be so hard for you." Said Sango.

"I agree, there is no other pain like having a love not love you back." Miroku replied. _Screw Inuyasha. Miroku dies first._Kagome thought tightening her fists.

Suddenly a cry from Kikyou stopped and Kaede said aloud, "Tis a girl!"

Kagome's heart could not take anymore of this. She stood up and ran away, crying mentally, _Great a girl like Kikyou, once again to break some other girl's heart or mine._ She cried, as she ran, not caring where she was going.

Kagome stopped, and looked around her. She began to cry again. This place was somewhere she didn't want. It was the same place she saw Inuyasha forcibly embracing Kikyou, saying he'll always protect her, no matter what.

Choking on another sob and hiccup at the same time…Kagome felt more hot salty tears gather over her hazel eyes. Her legs began to move at their own accord, and she ran away from the forest.

When Kagome stopped once more, she realized she didn't have a clue where anything was, she had been running like crazy for almost half an hour, and could not remember where the well was, or Kaede's village, or anything…

"I'm lost…" she said to no one.

She fell to her knees, crying. "I'm lost, no one will find me…" she gasped. _I have no weapons!_

Putting her hands to face,Kagome realized if no one found her she'd never get home, or see her modern friends, or her feudal friends, or see her own family.

_What will they think? What will Inuyasha say? What will _Kikyou-sama_ say? Poor Shippou, I'm his adoptive mother, and I left him there, alone. And Sango, she'll be alone too, I'm the only girl besides Kaede, and Miroku, well I can't think of what he'll say, and Naraku…_

_I'm defenseless, I have nothing to protect myself, and I'm so vulnerable. He'll come after me, now that I have almost the rest of the Shikon no Tama. I have no arrows, no bows or anything…_"I'm worthless, I've left everyone I care for…" she mumbled. "I hate you Kikyou… I hate you Kikyou…" Kagome clenched her eyes tight.

"I hate you, Kikyou!" Kagome yelled at the top of her lungs.Kagome then just broke down and cried uncontrollable hiccups and sobs.

Kagomedidn't notice the footsteps coming toward her. She didn't feel the aurora of some shards the stranger had in his pocket. She didn't even feel the aurora of the stranger was in fact, a demon. When she finally realized someone was a few feet away from her she slowly looked up, seeing the garments he wore. She gasped when she finally saw his face; it was one person she didn't want to see… he resembled Inuyasha too much.

"…Sesshoumaru?" Kagome said blankly.

"Miko," he replied. He didn't know her name… he never really picked up on it.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, trying desperately to slow her sobs, rubbing at her smoky eyes.

He stared at her, seeing the tear stains upon her shirt and skirt, and the wetness of them still on her face and in her eyes. "Why are you crying?" he asked finally. He had a strange feeling of dejavu from when he met Rin.

Kagome then looked down at the ground she had been watering the last ten minutes from her tears. She screamed in her head about the thoughts of Kikyou and Inuyasha.

"He chose that dead thing… didn't he?" he asked, answering his own question.

Kagome nodded, "It just really hurts…," she said quietly.

_My idiot brother has done some stupid things in the past, but this is ridiculous, he thought. She can't face him anymore, if he loves the dead thing, than this girl has no happiness._Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes. _It's not my business. _

Why should I even care?

"I can't even face him," she said, echoing his thoughts back at him, "But I have to stay…"

"Why?" he asked.

Kagomelooked him in the eyes. _Because I love him that's why!_ "…Because it's my duty to collect the shards of the jewel." She replied.

_The Jewel of Four Souls, _he thought.Sesshoumaru raised a brow. "Why not just search for them with someone else?" Surely someone in the era would just _love_ to have some petty human girl look for pieces of something as small as a jewel.

"No," Kagome wiped away her tears. "There's no one..." _That I _want_ to be with..._

Sesshoumaru looked over to see nothing but dark that night. Really? How _unfortunate_ to be alone in this warring era. Sesshoumaru wished she'd stop crying by now. She wasn't sobbing very much, the smell of salt was overwhelming. There was one way to make her stop crying. Well more then one way, but there was no use to make a crying girl fall into depression. He let a small breath if air escape him that sounded like a sort of sigh. "...Why not join me?" _Stop crying already._

Kagome's hands which are on either side of her face, holding her cheeks, froze while her eyes widened. Her nose was pink, her face was flushed with heat of tears. "N-Nani?" Kagome said surprisingly (and intelligently).

"You can come with me. We can collect the shards, then you can fulfill your duty. And never have to deal with all this again."'Sesshoumaru replied. _Anything to make her stop._

"…You mean it?" She said.

"Yes." he finally said, what would take for this girl to be reasoned with? "When they all leave that village, you can get your things, and prepare to come with me, than you can get all of this over with."

Kagome looked into his golden eyes. With gratitude and happiness in her own.Sesshoumaru pulled out a small bag from his pocket, and handed it (or more like tossed it) to Kagome. When she opened it, she saw almost two dozen shards of the jewel. Her eyes went wide, _why didn't I notice that he had all these?_ She questioned herself. She looked again into his eyes, and tried to find out what he was thinking. He stared at her, trying to figure out what made him say all those things.

_What has happened to me? Am I going soft?_ No you're just insane...

"Thank you so much Sesshomaru…sama," she said, "I'll come with you, and I will collect the shards with you. I'm so grateful…" She stood up, and wrapped her long arms around his tall form._ Force of habit._

_Why is this wench doing this?_ He thought_. Oh well, is doesn't seem to be a bother. She's warm… Why didn't my brother care for her?_

"Come," he said, turning away from her grasp upon him, "We will wait until they leave, if you want you may go back to your time and meet me here, if not, follow me, you should meet Rin and Jaken."

Kagome was a bit puzzled, _who is Rin? The small girl I remember once?_

She said in her head. She quickly sped up to his pace, "Oh, by the way," she started, Sesshomaru looked at her, "I'm Kagome… but two things."

Sesshomaru rose an eyebrow.

"I will not be answered to by wench or bitch. Ever." She looked at him sternly in the eye, saying that she's serious.

Sesshomaru bit back his amused glint, amused by what his idiot brother called her. _This will be interesting_, he said in his head.

They walked into the moonlight, side-by-side, not saying a word, but both thinking the same thing.

...What will this end up as?

Taa-daa! New REVISED Chapterone of Love and Ice! YAY! Please tell me if it's better, I hated it the day I posted it because I was too much in a rush to do so. I had little time, I just emailed it and bam! Crap! I wanted to scream. It was too messy…. Thanks again to CreepyKikyou for her constructive criticism. When I got another review it reminded I'd better do the first chapter. And it's been redone again. I found my other version of it again. I like it way better then before.


	2. Homesick

Love And Ice

Chapter 2

Homesick

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Three days after Kagome joined Sesshomaru, Kagome began to feel a little homesick. She had asked Sesshomaru is she could possibly go home for a few days and make sure everything was alright, (and catch up on her schoolwork!) and see if her family was doing alright with her gone.

He had at first been surprised by her question, thinking she had everything she needed right here, then he remembered that she had a family, and with her being fifteen, she was already a second mother to her family in the ways he was brought up.

When she left, Rin had asked many questions about how Kagome was able to go down a well and see other people on the other side. Sesshomaru was pretty puzzled by this myself, and simply said that she should ask her when Kagome came back.

----

Two days later Sesshomaru was outside Kaede's village, far enough so Inuyasha wouldn't sense him, but near enough to hear when the group left the hut. When they left he jumped swiftly between the huts and landed right in front of the door. Kaede quickly felt the aurora of a demon present, and reached for her arrows.

"You not be alarmed elder…" Sesshomaru said, his words fell out like wine, smooth. As they always did. The old miko turned and saw Sesshomaru standing in the doorway, holding the door open.

"You must be a dog youkai, perhaps related to the hanyou, Inuyasha?" Kaede said, following the young lord's advisory.

"You are as smart as they say." He quickly said, with a bit of bitterness in voice, since she had mentioned he and Inuyasha were brothers. "I have found the young human Inuyasha rejected as his mate," he said as he walked into the hut.

"Ka-Kagome?" Kaede said very surprised and yet very worriedly.

"Yes." He replied. "She has joined me in search of the jewel shards, and while she had gone to her family, I am here to collect her things and bring them to her when she returns."

Kaede was a little suspicious. _Why would ye young lord take in Kagome? But, this, this the lord would not make up._

"Very well then," Kaede said, walking into a small back room of the hut, "these are her things. Take good care of them."

Sesshomaru could not believe his eyes, Kaede pulled out a huge bag, almost as big as her.

"Thank you elder. But do not tell him or the others about my presents here. I do not want them to follow me, thinking I captured the young human or anything else that's rudely absurd." He reached for the bag and tossed it over his shoulder.

"Of course, young lord…" Kaede said bowing, she quickly got up and touched his shoulder. "But…do take care of Kagome, the last thing she needs is a another wound to mend."

Sesshomaru nodded slightly and took off in the sky.

"...Take good care of them both, Kami-sama, please take good care." She walked back into the hut, hoping with spells or what-knots she might be able to rid the stench of Sesshomaru from the area.

----

"I'm home!" Yelled Kagome. Kagome slipped off her shoes, and walked into her kitchen.

"Kagome!" screeched a happy voice. Souta came running down the stairs in a blur, and hugged Kagome like she'd been gone for a month.

"Hey Souta! Where's mom and grandpa?"

Souta looked up to her. "Mom's somewhere in her room, looking for somem', and gramps' went out for some veg's for some reason or another!"

Kagome raised a brow, "You know you can let go of me now, right?" She smiled.

A sweat drop appeared on Souta's head, "Heh heh," he said, letting go of the tight grip he had on her.

"It's okay!" Said Kagome, frizzing up his hair. She turned away and walked over stairs and into her mother's room.

"Mama?" Questioned the young miko. She could hear shuffling of feet and small bumps and bangs, probably from stuff being tossed at the wall or floor.

"Mama?" She said again, looking into the room. She saw her mother in the closet throwing objects at the wall and a light tune hanging around. She looked closely and saw her mom had her spare CD player attached to her hip with one of Kagome's favorite CD's in it, with her mom humming away and shaking her body to the beat. Kagome rolled her eyes at how poorly her mother danced to the rock-and-roll CD and thought of something funny.

She reached for her CD case sitting next to her mother's radio. She opened her case and found her burned copy of the same CD her mother was listening to, she had made it for her friend Eri, and slipped it into the CD player of the radio and pushed the on button, luckily her mom just switched the CD player back to #1 and started to play at the same exact place the radio did. Her mom started to sing to song, Kagome guessed she had been listening to the same song for a while.

"Anata no koto…" Her mom turned as she sang to the new louder beat from the radio, she suddenly saw Kagome standing there. "KYAAAA!"she pounded her fist on her chest, trying to regain her regular heartbeat. "I'm so glad you're back Kagome…" her mother breathed, and walked to her only dauighter, "Just don't do that again, okay sweetie?"

----

After a nice soothing bath and a small meal, Kagome's mom asked her how her doggy-friend was doing.

When she said those words Kagome welled up in tears, "Mom, if you don't mind, I'd rather not like to talk about that…" she said while she wiped away a tear.

"Of course sweetie but how are your other friends doing? You know, the ones we can't see because they can't pass through the well?" Her mother asked as she handed Kagome a tissue.

"Well, mom….I can't really say how they are, because…well….I left them to be with another…I now do not travel with my old feudal friends, I now travel with Inuyasha's half-brother, Sesshomaru."

She started to tell them about how she met up with him in the forest when she ran away, she left out the part of crying, and she dare not tell them that Sesshomaru was a full demon. Her grandfather had just arrived and she didn't want him to seal the well up because she was traveling with now two demons.

She told them she was tired and she had to got to bed, her mother gave her a new school outfit to were for the next few days. She plopped down her bed and quickly fell asleep since Sesshomaru only stopped when he was tired, which was very long. As she drifted off into sleep, her thoughts fell to Sesshomaru, _why did he take me in like that? I mean, I'm only human, and I have no powers that would be of use to him, and I have to collect the shards, so why would he want to help? It's a good thing Rin is there, or else I'd have no one else to tell how the ways off Sesshomaru._ She stopped with that thought and fell into deep slumber, hoping a good night's rest would calm her nerves.

Unfortunetly, it didn't.

----

"Kikyou…" said a boy.

"Inuyasha…"said a girl.

They kissed.

"Nooooooo!" yelled a girl.

"Inuyasha! You can't! If you do I'll be gone forever!"

He didn't hear her. He continued kissing.

"Why? Why?." said the girl who screamed.

Tears started to stream from her eyes.

She slowly was devoured into the earth, screaming his name, telling him to stop, yelling the subduing spell.

He didn't hear her. He never did.

She thought he cared for her.

She thought he'd protect her.

She thought he loved her…

"KYAAAAA!" screamed Kagome. She sat up gasping for breath, clutching her pajama shirt. _Oh, it was just a dream…_ She thought, she wept off the beads of sweat that was pouring down her forehead. "It sure didn't feel like a dream…" She said, as she looked over to her clock. It read 6:14. "I got almost an hour before I have to get ready for school, "Might as well get up…." She said, she shifted her feet to the ground into her bunny slippers and started to walk over to the bathroom.

----

"Kagome?" Said a sleepy voice.

Kagome was in the kitchen with a bowl of rice in her hands. "Hm?"

She looked over to see her mother standing in the doorway, still in her pink knee high silk pajamas and paten slippers. "Oh, good morning mom." She said. Holding out a lager bowl of rice. Her mother shooed it away, "No thanks dear, I think I'll just have coffee."

"So, Kagome, why were you up so early? I don't even wake up 'til six-thirty," her mother said before blowing gently on her coffee.

"I guess, well….the last few days while I've been traveling with Sesshomaru, we always woke up the crack of dawn, I guess my body will keep thinking that for a while.." she lied. She didn't like lying, but telling her MOTHER about her nightmare reliving her almost nightmare of Kikyo and Inuyasha in the forest, _you can't tell your mom about love and all that. Too creepy._ She thought as she ate a little rice, she guessed she'd been a little too quiet for a minute because her mother asked if she was okay, "Of course! Why wouldn't I be?" She said as she gave a fake smile. "I think I'll go to Yuka's house and walk to school with her, 'bye Mama!" Kagome said as she ran out the door.

"Have a good morning Kagome!"

----

"I smell him! Where is he?! I'll kill him!" Yelled a certain hanyou.

Kaede cursed under her breath, so quiet even Sesshoumaru himself couldn't hear. She sighed, _why is that every time something or someone comes near my hut, I can never rid the smell of them away?_ She thought.

"What on earth do ye mean child?" She said very coolly. Inuyasha stared at her in the eyes,

"You know what I mean old hag, where is he?!?!" He yelled.

"Inuyasha, don't yell so loudly, you'll wake our baby." Said Kikyou as she walked into the hut. "Yes, Inuyasha, why do you yell now?" Asked Miroku.

They all walked in, sitting down to sooth their hurting feet. They had no luck of finding any jewel shards, Kikyou could even find them when she helped, and had to stay behind most of the time with Sango guarding her most of the time, to make sure no one care near her little bundle of joy.

"I have no idea what so ever what ye mean." Said Kaede, stirring a new pot of stew for the group.

"Damn you old hag." He said very quietly. He sat down, and crossed his arms, when he suddenly had an idea. "Hey! Why don't have some of Kagome's ramen stuff or something, I bet we'd all like some of that modern food!" He said with a little cheerfulness in his voice.

She ignored the comment.

"Yeah! I wanna have some of those 'candy' stuff she's got!" Said Shippo as he bounced over to the little room where Kagome's bag had been.

Kaede quickly stood in front of the door. "I don't think Kagome would like it if we went rummaging through her things." She said very cautiously.

Inuyasha rose an eyebrow, he sniffed if Kagome's scent still lingered from the bag that was supposedly was to be in the room. He was shocked to find that it wasn't there.

"Kaede, where is Kagome's bag?" He said. A bead of sweat appeared on her head. _Oh Kami-sama don't make him lose it_, she quickly thought. Kaede hated lying as much as Kagome, maybe even more. She really did hate it. A lot. But, if she was to keep her promise to Sesshomaru, she had to lie.

"Kagome came by a few days ago while ye were gone, she got her things and went home." She lied. She begged Kami inside her head to not punish her because she kept a promise, even of it had to be a lie.

"Then why do I not smell her scent?" He questioned.

"…I do not feel the aurora of my reincarnation here, or the jewel." said Kikyou while rocking her baby. _Not that I care anyway._

Shippou, Miroku and Sango all rose their eyebrows at Kaede. Kaede sighed, _I'm not going to endanger Kagome or Sesshomaru because of Inuyasha's bad temper or Miroku and Sango's feelings for her._ "I do not know, perhaps the old healer was working on some disappearing spell or something, and rid the stench of Kagome from this hut." She said.

Inuyasha was about to start up a fuss with Kaede when Kikyou stopped him, "Inuyasha, dear, who cares if Kagome was here or not? Just stay calm and help me put our baby back to sleep…"

Inuyasha was a little surprised, _what does she mean 'who cares if Kagome was here or not?' I may not love Kagome, but I still care deeply for her, but I'll deal with this later, time to calm my little girl._

He thought as he walked over to his mate and child. He caressed the hair of the baby, which was supposed to be soft as the skin, but instead it was rather stiff at the time, at first he thought it might be because Kikyou was still made up of earth, but it still bothered him. When the child made soft noise he shoved the thoughts in the back of his head, and laid his hands on his head to relax. He thought once again, _I promise I'll come back to this later_.

----

He sniffed the air.

Inuyasha has come back to the village.

He sniffed the air once again to see if Kagome had come back from the well, he didn't smell her scent. _I guess she is still home_, he thought.

"Sesshomaru-sama? Are you okay?" Asked Rin. Sesshomaru looked to his left to see Rin sitting there with a worried look on her face. "Stupid girl, of course Lord Sesshomaru is alright, he has no wounds, and further more you need to stop ask-…"

-BONK-

Jaken fell face first into the ground.

Sesshomaru looked to Jaken to see him with a huge bump on the back of his head, he also saw a large rock sitting next to him. "That's for calling Rin stupid!" Said a voice. Both Rin and Sesshomaru looked behind Jaken to see Kagome walking over to them, with a box in her hands.

"Kagome!!!" Said Rin, squealing with delight as she ran to hug Kagome. "Hi Rin!" She returned, messing up a few hairs on the little girl's head. "Rin is glad you're back! Rin missed you!" Said the little girl, pulling the young miko toward the fire they had made.

"I missed you too! But before we talk a bit, I got something for ya'!" Replied the young miko, opening the box.

-------------------  
This is Chapter 2 revised. I'm revising all my chapter 'cause a few or my critical friends tell me it's a bit smushed together. So, don't be alarmed if you read something and are like 'Hey- I don't remember that in the story!' In the next chapter Kagome gives gifts that are simply worthy of a king or queen, and definitely not something that even the great Lord of the Western Lands could afford.  
**Dictionary:  
**Kami-sama- God  
Youkai- demon  
Hanyou- half-demon  
Miko- priestess  
-Kum-chan


	3. Glittering Attire

Love And Ice  
Chapter 3  
Glittering Attire

-

"What is it! What is it!" squealed the girl.

Kagome opened the box she had been carrying since she stopped by her house to check up on things and going off to the feudal era.

"You'll see, you'll see…" she replied.

I wonder why I didn't smell her scent, she is too far away from the well to just get here within a few minutes. And there's no way for her to mask her scent like me, she's only human, thought Sesshomaru.

Kagome shifted around the box to pull out a beautiful silvery blue kimono with glittering stars on it. And even though the young child could not read, on the bottom on the back spelled out 'RIN', in the most sparkling text ever.

"Oh Kagome…" Said Rin, very bodacious at the beautiful garment, her impossibly large chocolate eyes got even bigger.

Sesshomaru stared at the kimono, clearly not understanding how such a piece of clothing could be made. He had, had his for who knew how long. Even Jaken stared at the clothing.

Almost on cue, Kagome folded the garment very carefully and sat it down beside her, and start to rummage through the box, once again. This time when she pulled something else out, it was a gorgeous red and black haori and hakama. "These are for you Jaken. I hope you like them. It took me forever to find the right size that would fit you." Said Kagome handing it to the sputtering toad.

Jaken could not believe his eyes; he took the clothes and stared at them, watching a light shimmer flow off them once and awhile from the fire light. He looked at Kagome, and bowed repeatedly,

"A-Arigatou, woman!" he raced off to try on these clothes she gave him.

"Rin too! Rin must try on pretty clothes!" jumped the girl.

"Of course Rin!" Said Kagome handing her the clothes. Both Jaken and Rin disappeared into the grass on opposite sides to try on their new clothes.

Sesshomaru stared blankly at Kagome, not understanding why she had just given such beautiful articles to his 'companions'.

Kagome looked back at him, and went once more rummaging through the box. She pulled out something white and a sky blue, she walked over to Sesshomaru and sat in front of him. He sat there, puzzled from what she was doing. She slowly unfolded a cloud white and glittering yukata. It was dotted with small sparkling stars and waves of sky blue and almost tropical blue seas at the end and a beautiful collar adorned at the top.

His eyes went wide.

Oh my Kami-sama! That! That! That yukata is simply beautiful! Why is she giving it to me? He thought. She placed over his lap.

"I thought I'd do something nice for everyone, since you are the one who took me in, I had to get something for you. Something with a lot of meaning. At first I thought I'd give a new kimono to Rin because I noticed her old one was getting a little small. And then I thought what was a better way for Jaken to like me by giving him something. I thought this might be a, oh how can I explain this… a fresh start than the relationship I had with you when I was with..." she stopped, and looked down at the ground, "him." She said a lot of bitterness in her voice.

She had suddenly stopped being sad that Inuyasha didn't choose her, she became mad that Inuyasha didn't choose her. She had always cared for him, and cheered for him, and was always ready to fight along his side, if need be. _And I'm the one who broke the spell that held him to that tree, Kikyo bound him to tree, so why should he care now_? Said Kagome aloud in her head.

She suddenly felt something warm brush across her hand, she realized that she was sitting in front of Sesshoumaru, and that he had touched her arm.

She looked into those golden bonds and wished Inuyasha had been as beautiful as Sesshoumaru was. _EWW! WHERE THE HECK DID THAT COME FROM_! She screamed inside her head.

I can't believe Inuyasha did not love this girl, she is so soft, so warm, so beautiful. Thought the young lord. He looked into her almond-shaped hazel eyes. She almost looked like Kikyou, but Kagome had something else.

She, was alive.

Alive with hope, and happiness, and liveliness.

She was able to control her mind, not like Kikyou had been when she was controlled by Naraku.

Poor soul.

Thought them both. Apparently they had been thinking the same thing.

"Oh Kagome! Kagome!" Said a happy voice.

Out of the bushes popped Rin, wearing the beautiful kimono, sparkling in the moonlight. "Oh Rin, you look simply beautiful in that outfit!" Said Kagome, as she walked over to hug the young girl. "Thank you so much Kagome! Rin loves her new kimono!" squealed the girl.

Jaken popped out of the bushes. He wore the haori and hakama like it was the emperor's finest clothing. He walked over to the three, strutting like a super model. "What do you think Lord Sesshomaru? Do you find this clothing appropriate?" Asked the toad.

Sesshomaru looked to the youkai, "Yes, I find that article of clothing simply the best you've ever worn." He replied.

As Jaken bowed repeatedly to Sesshoumaru, and Rin played over by the fire, Kagome took the yukata and put it back into the box, thinking that back in her time, it would be a bathrobe, that it'd be used for relaxation, where ever relaxation would be, which would certainly wouldn't be in the forest.

After a night of talking and giggling, they all soon settled in. Hoping that tomorrow they would take it a bit easy.

Sometimes when it was really cold, Sesshoumaru would let Rin curl up in his tail, and keep her warm throughout the night. Tonight it was a bit chilly, and he thought what would make Kagome feel a bit more, ahem, 'at home', than letting her sleep in his tail.

"Rin, it is going to get rather cold tonight, why don't you and Kagome sleep with me tonight?" Asked the young lord. Kagome's eyes went wide,

DID HE JUST SAY 'SLEEP WITH ME TONIGHT!'

Rin pulled onto Kagome's hand. "Come on Kagome! Sesshoumaru-sama is letting us sleep on fluffy tonight!"

"Fluffy?" Asked Kagome.

Rin pointed to Sesshomaru's tail, "Fluffy! It keeps Rin warm when it's cold at night!"

Kagome looked to the tail, _I always thought it was a boa of some sort_, she thought. They both sat down next to Sesshomaru, he unwrapped his tail from his arm, and made a circle round the two.

He sat down, about a foot away from them, "That ought to keep you warm." He said. Kagome cuddled a little in the tail, and pulled Rin to her chest, keeping the fragile young child warm. Rin quickly snuggled into the grasp Kagome had on her, and fell asleep fast. _She reminds me of Shippo, young, small, unprotected, she lost her parents too. The poor thing, I'll always protect her, no matter what. Even if Sesshomaru can't, or Jaken or even if I can't protect myself, I'll protect her, she's so young. It wouldn't be right for her to die at such a young age_, thought Kagome as she drifted off to sleep.

Poor thing, poor thing…

-

Inuyasha stared at the ceiling, thinking about the earlier comment Kikyo had made about Kagome, '_who cares if Kagome was here or not?_.' The words echoed inside his head, they had for the past hour.

Why did she say such a thing? I mean, even Naraku would have been surprised by those words. Thought the hanyou. He looked over to see his mate holding his child, in a tight embrace, _no matter how may times I ask her, she says that the child must stay with her, something about a mother's love. Weird._

Thought the hanyou. He looked over to see his mate holding his child, in a tight embrace, 

He turned to see Sango and Miroku both sleeping, with their hands atop each other's. _They'd make a great couple,_ he thought, _Keh, yeah, if Miroku would stop being such a pervert._ He laughed a little, thinking about how Miroku would act if he wasn't the pervert that he is.

"Inuyasha?" Said a voice. He looked over to see Shippou sitting near the fire. If he was lying down, he would be in a tight ball, apparently from the loss of his adoptive mother's warmth at night.

"Yeah?" asked Inuyasha.

"What do you think Kagome is doing right now?"

Inuyasha was surprised a little, then he remembered that he had been thinking of her or the past half hour.

"I dunno."

"Do you think she's at her home or something?"

He sniffed the air. "Yeah I would bet, I don't smell her scent."

"I miss her." Said the young fox, with sadness in his voice.

"Me too." He replied after sometime.

"Really? After all that's happened?" Asked the young demon, with eagerness suddenly into his words.

"Of course Shippou, just because I love Kikyou, doesn't mean I'm gonna forget about Kagome, she's always been there for us. She always will, even if she's not here with us."

He hoped that Kagome would be there if she was needed. _After all this, Kagome must hate me,_ he thought.

"We should get some sleep Shippou. We've been looking shards for almost 2 days now, we should rest." Said Inuyasha, sitting into a more comfortable position.

"I would guess." Replied the fox.

"Inuyasha?"

"_What is it_ Shippou?"

"Can I um…sleep with you tonight?"

Inuyasha stared at the fox, clearly not understanding where the question came from.

"Please? It's very cold tonight." Said the fox, with pleading eyes.

Inuyasha's expression softened. He sat up a little, opening his arms for the cub to lay down into.

Shippo smiled brightly and hopped over to him, and snuggled into the new embrace Inuyasha had on him, an embrace he had never had from Inuyasha.

He looked down at the cub, and smiled. _He misses Kagome dearly,_ he thought, _he's almost completely alone now, with Kagome gone, he has no parents._

"Hey Shippou…"

The cub opened his eyes, praying that Inuyasha wouldn't tell him to get off.

He rubbed his own head, "…um…since Kagome is gone, um…would you like me to be your…um…man this isn't easy…um….adoptive Otousan?"

Shippou smiled as wide as his face would let him, and hugged Inuyasha's neck with all the strength he had.

"Oh thank you! Thank you Inuyasha!" Said Shippou, with tears in his eyes.

"I know that I can't replace your real father, but now you've lost 3 parents, someone's got to look out for you…"

As soon as he said those words, Shippou fell asleep, on his shoulder. Inuyasha cradled him into his arms.

Well that's one problem solved, he thought, _only a million more to go. _And with that he fell asleep too.

he thought, And with that he fell asleep too. 

-

Inuyasha ears perked up. His eyes sleepily fluttered open. He saw small beams of light coming through cracks of the hut, _morning already? _He thought yawning.

He carefully took off his fire rat jacket and bundled it up into a small bed, and laid Shippou in it, thinking if he was still cold, it might keep him warm.

He stretched a little, being careful to not disturb his mate and child. He sniffed the air, trying to breathe in the sweet smell of his newborn, he did not find it. He looked at it, sniffing at it.

Why do I not smell the scent of me and Kikyou on the kid? Can it be possible it doesn't have a scent because Kikyou is made of earth still? And I can't even smell any demon on it, it should be ¼ demon, so why does it give a weird aurora? Thought the hanyou.

He stood up and stretched his legs, yawning and breaking in the new day. _Perhaps I should take a bath today_, he thought, not knowing where it came from. _I have gone without one for almost a week. _

Maybe my scent offends the others, he thought. He didn't realize they couldn't smell thing off him, only feel his 1/2 demon aurora. He walked out the hut, leaving all of them sleeping, and not realizing he left.

-

Inuyasha swayed at the water, splashing at the little fish near the bank. He laughed a little when the fish came to close and he jumped at them, nearly scaring them out of their scales.

He remembered when Kagome used to take baths in the water, always telling him not to peep at her, and try as he might to fight against his instincts, her yelling the subduing spell throwing him to the ground when he did peep at her.

He looked into the water staring at his reflection, and wondered if Kagome ever looked at him the way he looked at her, well the way he never showed he looked at her. He would always give her stern looks, and have his eyes narrowed, and always frowning. But deep inside all he ever wanted to do was smile, smile her when she smiled at him, smile at her to help her when she cried, smile at her when he made her laugh.

He sighed and lowered himself into the water further, letting go of all the stress he had. _I just had to be mean to her, didn't I? _He asked himself. _Now I know why Kagome cried when she did, and ran away when she did. I always do things before thinking about them, or fight them off, like when I fought with Kagome. Fight first, talk later._ He always thought that was the motto the others gave him. Whenever something between him and Kagome happened, he'd always wait until later to think about it, or discuss it.

"I sure can be a jerk sometimes….huh Kagome?" He asked aloud. He forgot he was sitting in the water alone, for a split second, he thought he was in a river, with Kagome standing beside the shore, with a towel in her hands, waiting for him to come to shore and give it to him, to dry himself off.

He sighed, he wished Kagome was here right now. He always was like this when Kagome went back to her time, or went somewhere with out anyone knowing. Well she thought no one would know, but Inuyasha always knew when Kagome left. She'd always leave her scent behind, her sweet scent.

Her scent was always filled with cherry blossoms, or lavender, or roses of some sort. He thought it was the scent or that sham-poo Kagome used for her hair that gave off the scent. But she gave off the scent, not the bath product.

He sighed again, with deeper emotion than he knew he had…

-SPLASH- He heard a noise.

He turned to his left and saw a few ripples coming out of a small circle of rocks with water coming out. _Feh, someone's taking a bath, great, someone else to invade my privacy_. thought the hanyou.

He suddenly grew aware that the scent of the person had the unique scent of cherry blossoms. Or lavender, and something flowery. He heard a laugh, or some sort of giggle. He heard a splash, then a counter splash, as if _two_ people were in the water.

"Okay Rin…you go and find those towels we left by the branch, I gotta finish rinsing the conditioner out of my hair.." said a girlish voice. _OH MY GOD! THAT'S KAGOME'S VOICE!_ Screamed Inuyasha in his head.

"Alright okaasan!" said a cheerful voice. He heard a few splashes and the shuffling of feet, probably of someone walking onto the ground to look for the towels.

He waded over to the rocks, and carefully peeked over them, to see Kagome standing, with water up her chest, and suds still in her hair. He gasped at the sight. She waded over to the rocks, to lie down against when she rinsed her hair. He quickly hid behind them to make sure she didn't see him.

Kagome looked down to the jewel on her necklace, _we haven't fought any demons lately, and haven't found any shards. I guess I shouldn't expect too much, after all, Sesshomaru is the one who's in charge, he will fight the demon if need be._ Thought the girl. She unhooked her chain and looked at the nearly half jewel, she sighed. She remembered that Inuyasha had helped her find most of the shards, before she met Shippou and Miroku and Sango.

She suddenly saw a ripple come out of the rocks behind her, she turned around the rocks, on the opposite side to see Inuyasha standing there in the water, and he saw Kagome standing in the water too.

"K-Kagome?"

"In-Inuyasha?"

-

I'm so happy! I got more reviews! YAY! Praise the glorious for their services! Also, this chapter is revised too! Pretty much all the chapter leading up to seven or eight are going to be revised.  
**Dictionary:  
**Haori- formal coat  
Hakama- pleated pants  
Okaasan- mother  
Otousan- father  
Yukata- bathrobe; relaxation attire; thin kimono  
Well, that about does it! READ AND REVIEW! Thanks-Kum-chan


	4. Who's There?

Love and Ice

Who's There?

---

Inuyasha stared at Kagome, looking as dumbfounded as ever, like he'd never seen her before.

Kagome looked over Inuyasha, seeing changes in him. _Inuyasha… you've changed. You've no longer become the good soul I knew._

Of course, Inuyasha had not really changed, but under a dilution of fake love he had apparently. His eyes had grown from their amber-gold to dirty yellow-brown. His silver hair had grown into gray-moldy locks. His skin was no longer baby soft, it was tight and pinched... Like someone had deliberately sucked the moisture out of him.

Inuyasha…? What has Kikyou done to you? She asked inside her head.

Why does she look at me like I'm different? I'm still the rough guy I was, I always was. I still am. What is her problem? He screamed in his head.

"What the hell is wrong? Why do you stare at me like I'm a worthless demon! It's not like I'm Sesshomaru or anything! Hey! Talk to me!" He yelled.

Kagome waded away from Inuyasha, a bit frightened by what he had just said.

Inuyasha gasped. _She… moved away? But… _"Kagome… why are you walking away?" He asked.

She stared at him; small tears filled her eyes. "Inuyasha… you've changed… your heart has grown harder… like stone. Your no longer the good soul I knew." She replied.

What the hell does she mean?

"Kagome…I'm still Inuyasha… and I haven't changed…" he stopped and thought about what she said, " what makes you think I have a good soul!"

Kagome's eyes filled with broken-hearted tears.

"Your right Inuyasha… you didn't have a good soul..."

Inuyasha's eyes widened.

"You never had a good soul!" She yelled.

She ran as fast as she could in water, and grabbed a small bathrobe she left lying on the ground.

"Kagome!" He ran after her in the water.

When he finally reached the shore, he stopped and panted, gripping his knees while staring at the rippling reflection in the water. "Oh…. Kagome… what has happened to us…?"

Kagome was running as fast as she could in the dense forest. She had no clue where she was going, but she only wanted to get as far away as Inuyasha as possible.

Why am I running away from Inuyasha? I don't understand, what did Kikyo do to him?

She looked behind her to see if Inuyasha was following her, she didn't see him.

Suddenly, SMACK Kagome fell to the ground on her rear, she looked up to see Rin on the ground too, rubbing her lower back.

"Oh Rin, I'm so sorry… I didn't see you coming…" She stood up and helped Rin up to her feet.

"It's okay okaasan!" said Rin, very happily. "But were you doing running away from hot spring? Did something happen?"

Kagome's back stiffened. "No, Rin… nothing happened. You were just taking too long and I was worried. So I came to come find you." she lied.

"Oh… I'm sorry okaasan. Rin got lost trying to find towels. But Rin found them and was going back to you!" she said, holding out the two light blue fluffy things.

"Good! Now… lets go back to the spring and hurry back to Sesshomaru-sama." said Kagome. She was hoping Inuyasha had left the spring, she want to see him after what just happened between them.

Luckily Inuyasha did leave the spring and their things were still sitting there, as they had minutes earlier. _Good, he's gone._ Thought Kagome very relieved_, but Rin and I better hurry back to Sesshomaru, there's no telling what will happen if Inuyasha comes back._

Kagome and Rin dried off and changed into their clothing. Rin put on her new kimono and hoped that Kagome would allow her to where it from there on. Kagome didn't say a word about the kimono except complimenting that Rin looked even more beautiful in it then at night. Rin smiled and skipped back to path from the spring to the camp, with Kagome walking behind her smiling and singing quietly.

Inuyasha was dressed and sitting on a large rock, next to the bank of the stream or river he was bathing in. He sat there thinking about what Kagome said to him.

'You're right Inuyasha, you didn't have a good soul… YOU NEVER HAD A GOOD SOUL!' the words echoed inside his mind. He just sat there, not moving, barely breathing, and looking as dumbfounded as ever.

He never felt so sad, so hurt, so alone.

When he was apart from Kikyou he felt a little sad and wished that she was there, and yet when she was he didn't feel any different than before; something was still missing.

When he was apart from Kagome, he felt completely lost, and begged that she was there. Whenever she left, he felt like his heart was being torn in two. He knew she was going home, but what she never returned? What if the well sealed up? What if she got killed? What if she fell for another guy?

He eyes bolted open as wide as they could. He didn't know what he'd do if she fell for another guy, but what if she did? And it was Kouga or some guy from her time? What was that guy's name, the one who wanted to go on a date with Kagome? Houjou something?

He stared at the water before him.

What will happen if Kagome falls for another guy?

He replayed the scene that happened minutes ago in his mind, he smelt a few things different on Kagome.

He smelt a presence of another demon, a small demon to be specific, some faint human smell, and a strong smell of another man. Not like any other man, a demon. And there was a lot of it on her, like she'd been very close to him, and stayed a long period of time near him.

What demon?

Kouga it better not be. No. Kouga's not a wimp to have a little girl tugging along him. Wait, yeah he is a wimp.

…Was that, Sesshoumaru's girl?

It wasn't there because of mating, Inuyasha knew that for sure, her time had just passed and he smelt no indication of a child or of a male scent _in_ her.

He continued to think of why it was there, when he heard a small voice.

"Inuyasha! Inuyasha!"

He turned around to see Shippou running to him, hopping a bit in his step.

"Inuyasha! There you are! We were worried!" said the young fox.

He bounced up to him and sat down in front of him. "What were and are you doing way down here by the river?"

He tried to think of something to say, he couldn't sat he was taking a bath, or say he saw Kagome or anything, it'd just make Shippo ask questions.

"I thought I smelt a demon near by, but it was just a faint scent of one on the wind. C'mon, let's get back to the others…"

He stood up and started to walk back to the village, with Shippou bouncing up to his shoulder and sitting on it.

Sesshomaru, Kagome, Rin and Jaken were walking in the woods to their next destination.

Rin hopped between her steps and picked up flowers that sprung up in the path before them. Kagome was walking her bike, carefully watching her bag behind her to make sure it didn't fall off, since the bungee cord that held her bag to the bike snapped earlier.

Sesshomaru walked quietly ahead, with Jaken beside his left, seeing as how he still didn't like the fact of two humans were traveling with them.

Sesshomaru was thinking of still why he let Kagome now travel with him, I mean, she didn't have any powers use full to him. She was here to collect shards, which wasn't his burden. And she was Inuyasha's wench. He quickly erased the thought of him using the word wench, especially sense Kagome said she hated it when people called her that. But then he was surprised he did something to follow her, ahem, orders.

This girl is different than I thought she was, he thought, _I'm beginning to think she is not the pathetic human who just pulled the Tessaiga out. There's something about her that makes me think there's more. But I can't put my finger on it…_

Meanwhile, Kagome was thinking too. But she was thinking about her strange dream a few nights ago, _what did it mean? _She thought. _Did it mean that something's gonna happen? Or is it a more fearful version of why all this happened? I don't understand…_

"Okaasan!"

Kagome snapped out of her trance to look up to Rin and Sesshomaru waiting yards ahead of her.

"Hurry oneechan! You're falling a bit behind!" said the little girl.

"Oh… coming!" she replied, hopping on her bike and began pedaling. She was relieved to see a few small hills coming up ahead, with them walking like this, she would be able to ride her bike thanks to going downhill, plus instead if walking, she could sooth her aching feet.

When she got by Rin, she held her hands out and picked up the girl and sat her in the basket. Rin sat there puzzled, "What are you doing oneechan…?"

"You look tired Rin… a girl your age should rest her feet once in a while, besides; it cuts up your perfect 'manicure'." she giggled.

Kagomequickly sped up to the two youkai, and slowly rode behind them a few feet away. Jaken snorted. He still didn't like the fact of having Rin around, but now, two humans!

Has the great Lord Sesshomaru lost his mind! What possible use would two humans have for him? What a waste of a lifetime… thought Jaken.

Sesshomaru watched Kagome out of the corner of his eye. He didn't know why, but that human was starting to appeal to him. Not his sexual ways, the ways he looked to his mother. Kind, loving, thoughtful… a bit sassy when angry, but still. If it wasn't for the fact that Kagome wasn't youkai and looked like Kikyou, then she just"might"be another version of the great demon.

Only… she'd be alive.

Not like Lady…. oh what was her name? Sesshomaru mentally kicked himself. It had been so long since he heard someone speak of his mother, too long. Years had gone by, he never really thought of anyone being like his mother; come to think of it… he never really thought of his mother at all. He'd always ask why she died so suddenly, but never thought of anything else but that. Seemingly, that was the only issue related to his mother he ever thought of.

Mother must be ashamed of me… I don't even realize her name. I can barely remember when I last saw her, it's been overseventy years, no wonder I can't remember. But still, I'd give anything to hear her voice once more…

And that's a rap. This chapter is short. Really short. School sucks. It's almost summer and it STILL feels like it's the beginning of a new year. UGH. Can't take it. Don't want to take it. Waiting for it to end. Read & Review please. Maybe that'll take my mind off all of this. I hope.


	5. Lost Memorires

Love and Ice

Lost Memories

---

Sango sat down outside the hut. Miroku was sitting down across from her, with Kirara playing with Shippou in front of him.

_Inuyasha has been gone for quite sometime, I wonder where he could of gone... it's not like him to run off without any explanation. Well, unless it involved Kagome, but even he doesn't know where she is,_ thought the young tajiya.

"That's it! I'm going to go find Inuyasha!" squeaked a voice. "It's like he kaite! I have to go find him!

Sango turned to see Shippou standing up, walking towards her. "What?" asked Sango.

"Inuyasha has gone too far and been gone too long... I'll be sure to find him, I can almost smell him." Replied the young fox.

"Shippou, don't you think it's a little dangerous to off on your own?" asked the monk. Miroku looked to him, "Inuyasha can handle himself Shippou, you don't need to be so paranoid."

"Paranoid, Houshi-sama?" asked Sango.

Miroku grinned at her. "I learned it from Kagome." he replied.

"Whatever, I'm going to go find him." said the fox, shaking his head. He started to bounce up and down between trees, toward the river where Inuyasha was sitting at.

"Do you think we should stopped him?" Sango said, while petting her kawaii cat.

"I would suppose that Shippou can take care of himself, at least for a few minutes until we come to save him from whatever he runs into." he replied to the worried woman.

Sango sighed and the thought of Shippou running into a huge demon, seeking a Shikon shard, and attempting to devour him. She shook her head, _No, no, no... don't think about such things, today would be a happy day, I guess, oh who am I kidding? Without Kagome, this group is going to fall apart..._

"You're thinking about her again, aren't you?"

She snapped out of her trance to see Miroku looking strait at her. "Wouldn't you be?" she asked. "Well, yes, during the entirenine months of Kikyou's pregnancy; you'd think Kagome would leave right away." he replied, looking back down at the ground.

"But she didn't... she stayed with us for the entire time, and although the less time she spent with Inuyasha, she kept her attitude upbeat."

"Kagome surprises us with each passing day, one day she's as happy like it's her birthday, the next she's sitting Inuyasha like he stabbed her in the back."

They both laughed, imaging Kagome and Inuyasha fighting, they could practically hear her saying, _'OSUWARI!'_

"I hope Kagome comes back, there's no telling what Inuyasha will do while she's gone... this is not a good time to be separating us all up." Said Miroku.

"Don't be too disappointed childs, Kagome is fine to what I've heard." Said a voice. They looked to the hut, to see Kaede walking out, they could also see that Kikyou was asleep, much to their happiness, they didn't want Kikyou to tell Inuyasha they were talking about him.

"What do you mean, Kaede?" asked Sango.

Kaede sat down on a wooden mat next to hut, continuing her phrase she just said. "While ye were out looking for shards, Sesshoumaru came to this hut..."

They gasped, "Sesshoumaru!" they said at the same time.

"What was _he_ doing here!"

"What did he want?"

"Did he hurt you!"

They kept spilling out questions, practically yelling them so loud Inuyasha could hear them. "No, no and no... Sesshoumaru did not harm me... if he did I'd already be bandaged up with help of the villagers..." they both calmed down a bit, but keeping their guard up just in case Kaede said anything that they needed to make a fuss about.

"Now, as I was saying, Sesshoumaru came to this hut, and said that he found Kagome, crying practically, and that he has taken her in, in search of the shards..."

They were utterly surprised. "Why would _he_ take in Kagome?" "This doesn't make sense..."

"Sesshoumaru has his ways about these things, although I don't know much about him, I'm sure he has a perfectly reasonable explanation for all of this..." said Kaede.

What the three didn't know was that Inuyasha and Shippo were walking in on their conversation. Although Shippo couldn't hear them, Inuyasha sure did. They wereten feet away from the three and he could hear them as though he was sitting right next to them.

_So, Sesshoumaru has Kagome in his grasp. But why? Why would a full demon take in my Kagome... WHA-? My Kagome? Why in the world did I think THAT!_ thought Inuyasha.

_All of this... Kikyo telling me she loves me... I believe her, but why do I get the feeling it's not right? I was in love with her, no, I_am_ in love with her... I think...?_

It was nearly lunchtime. Kagome was still riding her bike and Rin was still in the basket, and somehow, despite the discomfort in it, Rin had fallen asleep, she had been for the past hour.

When Kagome's stomach growled she blushed furiously, "Um...sorry, guess I forgot to eat this morning..." she said to Sesshoumaru.

"It's quite all right... we may stop for a while if you want to eat something, though I don't think there are any good creatures to eat here."Sesshoumaru replied.

"Oh that's okay! I have enough food for all of us to eat!" she said happily.

Jaken snorted, "How could a worthless human carry a meal big enough for all of us to eat?" he asked.

He suddenly fell to the ground, with a huge bump on his head. Kagome had flung a huge rock at him, which nearly knocked him out.

"I am NOT worthless! If anyone is worthless, it ought to be you!" She yelled, pointing at the toad.

Sesshoumaru let a smirk appear_, the girl has very fast reflexes, good_, _then she won't die so easily_.

Kagome took out a blanket from her bag and set it next to the trunk of a tree. She carefully picked Rin up and out of the basket, and placed her on the blanket, "She probably needs to sleep a bit more, young children below the age 8 need at leasttwelve hours of sleep..." she said tucking the fragile child in the soft material.

The last part of Kagome's words hit him like a rock_, children need that much sleep? Why didn't I know... And why would they need that much? I've seen Rin go to bed late and wake up early refreshed and ready, of course she does still yawn in the early hours... _he thought

Kagome pulled out a few boxes of ramen, along with a small battery-powered burner and a few bowls. "Oh! I forgot to get the water!" She said, smacking herself on the head. She quickly grabbed an empty water bottle and started to run off to a small stream they passed by earlier. "I'll be right back!" she yelled over her shoulder.

Inuyashasniffed the air. _Heh, I smell a demon... smells like it's near a river_. "I smell a demon..."

"Huh? Where?" asked Sango.

"Not sure. I'll go on ahead and try to find it." he replied.

"Inuyasha!" yelled Shippou.

It was too late, Inuyasha had already jumped away fifty feet, and neglected to listen to the kitsune.

Shippou sighed, "I wish Inuyasha would stop going off so much..." he hopped up to Sango's shoulder.

"Well, how would you feel if you were a half demon?" said a cold voice.

Sango's anger began to rise a little. She never liked to have Kikyou around, she insisted that she stay behind to protect her baby. But Kikyou said that she isn't going to let a child get in the way of her finding shards. She knew that Kikyou just wanted to make sure that they remained miserable. Well, it wasn't making Inuyasha miserable, but it certainly was to Sango, Miroku and Shippo. Not to mention Kirara, she even hissed when Kikyou tried to pet her.

"I believe there is another reason why Inuyasha is so temper-mental, Kikyou..." she replied keeping a stern expression on her face.

Kikyou huffed at her reply, "Please, I know my Inu..."

She rolled her eyes, _Inu... right. Whatever._

_---_

Inuyashahad to get away from the awful smell. Everywhere he went he smelt that awful scent, clay, bones, dirt... it was disgusting. He was glad to have Kikyou back, but her scent, her scent didn't even have it's own scent. He only smelt the earth and death. It was so overcoming at times, even when he was asleep, he would wake up to only find the awful smell. He breathed in the fresh air and was glad to find a clean sweep, as they would say in Kagome's time.

Kagome, he had been thinking of her since that morning. Ever since he last saw her, he couldn't stop thinking of her. Like it was an obsession, _Kagome what have you done to me? I can't stop thinking about you... have you laid another spell on me? _He laughed to himself about it, yeah... _That'd be a laugh, Kagome putting on a spell on me..._

She has you dim-wit.

Shut up! The only spell she has on me is this 'SIT' spell... she didn't even use it when we last met...

You IDIOT! She has put a spell on you

Before he could debate to himself about this 'new spell' he realized he was getting closer to the demon... then he realized it wasn't just some old demon, it was him.

_Ugh, great, another day with him... maybe with Kagome gone I can kill him now... _he clenched his claws, _nah, I can't do that, she'd kill me before I could lay a hand on him..._

Kagomehummed to herself quietly, she skipped back to the stream they passed by earlier. She finally reached it, and found a good spot to fill the bottle up with water.

She leaned down to the water, careful no to fall in, when... _Thump. Thump_.Kagome gasped_. Oh no... I sense a sacred jewel shard, and I don't have my bows and arrows... WAIT! It's coming at a fast speed, that means, oh no... not now..._

Suddenly a blur of brown dust swirled over the ground, and leaves scattered across the small tornado. It finally disbursed, and out popped...

Who else?

Kouga.

"Kagome!" he said happily.

"Uh... hey Kouga..." she replied with a weak smile.

He took her hand and grabbed her waist, "Don't be so shy! It's been a month since we last saw each other... aren't you happy?" he said even happier than before.

"Uhhhh... well..." she replied trying to think her thoughts out strait.

_Maybe I should be happy, I mean, now that Inuyasha is with Kikyo, it does sorta make me a bachelorette, kinda... but, this is Kouga I'm talking about, not Houjou-kun or anything... _A voice snapped her out of her trance...

"So where's dogface? It surprised me when I smelt your scent but not dog-turd's..." he said.

"You mean Inuyasha?" she asked, worried what Kouga might do if she had to tell him Inuyasha chose Kikyo over herself.

"Yeah, it's been a while since I kicked the guys butt..." he said, laughing while tightening the grip he had on her waist.

"KOUGA!" screamed a voice.

Inuyasha came flying out of the bushes, with Tessaiga in his hands, he had attempted to use the Wind Scar against him, but once he realized that Kagome was standing there too, he pulled back.

Kagome... what are you? Did you... what- 

"Well, well, well, if it isn't dogbreath... how ya been? Like the rotten mutt you are?" he said, tightening the even more firm grasp on Kagome's waist and laughed.

"Keh, in your dreams wolfboy.." he replied.

"Kouga, you're crushing me... let go!" said Kagome wiggling.

"Are you kidding, Kagome? You're my woman! I will not let go, no matter what!" he replied smiling.

"Kouga!" Kagome said. "Let go!" she tugged on his hands. Inside he was amazed why she wanted out of his grasp so suddenly. She usually just wait a few more minutes, then slap him or something to get out his hands.

He loosened his grip, not attempting to let her go but she did anyway. She stumbled back a few steps, and reached for the bottle she dropped, half of the water was already gone, and she needed to refill it.

"Thank you..." she huskily replied. She turned and walked back to stream, wanting to fill the bottle and get out of there before the two animals started to fight and ended up hurting one of the two.

Kouga and Inuyasha on the other hand were growling at each other, but each had the same girl on their mind

_Kagome, how did you get here with Kouga? I thought you were with Sesshoumaru, why the change of pace?_

_I don't smell dogbreath's scent on Kagome, but how? Who cares, no one is taking **my** Kagome away from me, not anymore..._

"Heh, Inuyasha, so how will we end this dispute now? Kagome wouldn't want us to kill each other... but there's obviously no other choice." the wolf demon said.

"Please, like you'd win the fight if we even had one." he replied.

"Oh, shut up you two..." said a voice.

They both turned to Kagome, who had her hands on her hips. "W-what!" they said together.

"I said shut up! This is pointless! Why is it that every time you two meet you want to fight. It's not like there's going to be any good outcomes to the situation."

The two guy's eyes widened. _What?_

"Inuyasha you don't need to fight anyway, you don't have to worry about me. I can take care of myself from now on. You taken someone else, there's no use for me." She said, trying to cover the tears in her eyes.

"What...? Kagome, Inuyasha!" yelled Kouga. "You took someone else?"

Inuyasha looked at embarrassed and disappointed at both of their words, "Uhh..."

"That's great!" Kouga said smiling.

"What!" yelled the hanyou.

He looked to Kagome, "Now nothing separates us Kagome! You can finally be with me! I can take care of you! We can live together forever!"

She backed away from him, "Umm... Kouga... I don't think so..."

Inuyasha growled loudly at him. "Kouga don't go near her!"

Kagome looked to Inuyasha, What...?

He stepped closer to the demon, "Take one more step near her and I'll tear you to pieces!"

"Inuyasha, Kagome is MINE! I've claimed her and that's that! You don't have control over her now!" he yelled.

"Kagome _is not yours_! She didn't belong to you and _she never will_!" he screamed at the top of his lungs.

The two continued to yell at each other, each telling the other about what they thought were Kagome would be. Poor Kagome felt like a doll, and the two men were debating which one got to give it to their sister. Her head brimmed with thoughts how to stop the two, but she couldn't come up with any solutions on how to break it up and have both of them satisfied.

She kept thinking about what Inuyasha had said, she didn't even hear Kouga's words about her,

'_DON'T GO NEAR HER!_

..._ONE MORE STEP AND I'LL TEAR YOU TO PIECES!_

..._NOT YOURS!_

..._DIDN'T BELONG TO YOU AND NEVER WILL!_

_Inuyasha's in love with Kikyo, so why does he act like his old self? He protected me because he liked me, but he LOVES her... so why does he act so... kindly?_

Pretty soon she got so caught up in thinking about Inuyasha and herself she didn't even notice that the two had stopped fighting, and were both looking at her.

"Kagome?"

She didn't hear it.

"_Ka_gome..."

"Huh?"

She looked to them both.

"What's with you? You're acting really weird..."

"HEY! That's_my woman_you're talking about!"

"_You idiot_! She's not yours!"

"What would you know!"

"More then you, _obviously_!"

They were at it again. Poor Kagome was standing there, once again, not understanding what and why they were fighting about. She sighed, she liked the fact that someone actually liked her, meaning Kouga, but of course there was Hojo who kept asking her out, but Kouga was a wolf demon, a leader of the West Pack, who could have anyone he wanted. Even though he promised Ayame that he'd marry her, it was still kind of, nice.

She looked to Inuyasha, _but I'm still hung up on him. Ugh, c'mon Kagome, Inuyasha is in love with KIKYOU. Not you! Get over it already!_Kagome looked to him again, seeing his well-toned muscles and slightly darkened hair. _But I can't..._

Just then a couple of Kouga's wolves came running up to him. Then howled and grunted and spoke to him in only ways he could understand.

"Uh huh..." he said to them. "I see..."

Kouga looked to Inuyasha, who was holding onto the Tessaiga at death grip. "It seems we'll have to finish our discussion later mutt." He said to the _still_ angry hanyou. "MUTT?" he squealed. Half-angry half insulted.

"See ya later, Kagome!" he said waving. He sped off in the direction he came from before.

"Eh..." was all she said.

Inuyasha looked to Kagome, who was staring off at Kouga's direction._ Is she hung up on him! _he screamed in his head

Kagome stared at brown tornado of Kouga_, I was so scared, I was scared of what he might do..._

"Kagome?" said a soft voice.

She turned to Inuyasha, "Inuyasha..."

She ran to him and embraced him, "Inuyasha! I was so scared!"

He blushed at her,_ scared? Why would she be scared? "_I was scared of what he might do because you weren't here!" she sobbed into his chest.

"You thought he'd do something if I wasn't here?" he asked.

"Yes! I didn't know what he'd do! I didn't know if he'd capture me again or do something, something... something... oh Inuyasha!" she cried into his jacket.

He smelt saltiness and realized she was actually crying into his chest, he could feel small tears seep into his jacket and onto his bare skin. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her slightly. They stayed there for a few minutes, each in the other's arms. Both enjoying the other's company.

He soon heard small, even breaths coming from her. She had stopped crying. She rested her head against him, and listened to his heartbeat, she thought her heart was beating at the exact same race.

"Are you alright?" he asked softly.

"Yes." she replied.

He pulled her arms away from him and stood her up on the balls of her feet. She twinged slightly because of the movement, but she didn't exactly care. He looked deep into her eyes and she did the same. It looked exactly like the scene of Inuyasha and Kikyo, the one that happened almost a year ago, when Kikyo confessed her love.

Her eyes began to shimmer and soften, but tears weren't coming out. She felt like this was the moment she had been waiting for her entire life, the moment she was in her true love's arms. At that moment she forgot about her home, her friends, her family and Kikyou. She had to do something that would him remember this moment forever.

He saw the glow of Kagome right that second and he knew what he wanted to do._ But should I_? he asked himself. I know I shouldn't, but,he saw a weak smile come across her face_, I will. I don't care what happens_.

He leaned closer to her face and saw the surprise he knew would come; wash over her face; he parted his lips and gave her a chaste kiss.

Whoa.  
**Dictionary**:  
Kawaii- cute  
Nani- what  
Osuwari- sit!  
Kaite- disappeared  
Tajiya- demon hunter  
I want to say thank you to the following to their help and praise of my story: _Leila Arab, MsacredCross, Serenity2222003, Tiger1Gman_- thankx 4 telling me the names! U rock out loud! ;), _Miriayou(Craig Harvey), Sesshy'sLuvr101, Hughraki-chan, Kagome'sChild45, Edam-san, Reincarnated SakuraFan_!- I WUV U THIS MUCH! _spreads arms to the end of world_ ARIGATO _SAKURA-CHAN_! That's it! Read & Review plz! I luv hearing what people have to say!


	6. Mixed Emotions

I keep getting email but they're all frequently asked questions: **THIS IS IMPORTANT!**

What type of story is this? _This is an Inu/Kag story. DUH!_

How can Kikyou give birth? _Actually, she can't. Sense she's made of clay, she doesn't have bodily functions. Giving birth would mean she would have to have to offer a sacrifice, and Naraku offered her a soul to do so. **So Kikyou's baby is actually a dead soul mixed with Inu's blood, that why Kuroinuko(baby) has no scent**. **VERY IMPORTANT!**_

What about this mother's love? _It's not mother's love. Kikyou doesn't want Inuyasha to interfere with their baby because Naraku helped create it too._

You people are persistent... just wait a while. It'll all unfold.

Love and Ice

Mixed Emotions

He leaned closer to her face and saw the surprise he knew would come wash over her face, he parted his lips and gave her a chaste kiss.

Her eyes grew in size, _He's kissing me!_ Her heart sped up angst, _Inuyasha's kissing me!_ She couldn't believe that Inuyasha, her love that she could never have was kissing her! It felt weird, but it felt right. She closed her eyes and let the kiss continue.

Inuyasha could hardly believe that Kagome was accepting his kiss, he thought after that all the things with Kikyou she would surely reject him, but she wasn't.

Kikyou! He felt her hands move from the grasp of his arms to his neck, pressing herself against him. He couldn't stop what she was doing and even what he was doing. He felt horrible for cheating now on Kikyou, but the kisses he had with her never felt like the one he was having now. Kagome's lips felt soft and warm, while Kikyou's felt cold and hardened.

Kagome was sure she was on Cloud Ninw. Inuyasha was kissing her and she was enjoying it! She forgot about Kikyou and everything else. She never wanted Inuyasha to stop.

Inuyasha finally broke off their kiss after a few minutes. They both breathed in air slowly, trying to regain their composure. Kagome was feeling wonderful, the man she loved had actually kissed her, and she loved it. The held each other in the other's arms for who knew how long.

"INUYASHA!" yelled a certain monk.

"Kusou…" he said quietly.

"You should go Inuyasha." said Kagome.

"What? And leave you with Sesshoumaru? No way."

She blinked, _how did he know I'm with Sesshoumaru?_ She stuffed the memory in the back of her head. "Please Inuyasha, I don't think this is the right time for me to come back." She replied.

Inuyasha didn't want to leave Kagome with his half brother, but he knew that there was no changing Kagome's mind when it was made up. "Fine…" he said, defeated.

"Thank you Inuyasha!" she said hugging his hand.

He got up and gave her one last hug, "… promise me you'll be safe…" he whispered into her ear.

"… I promise…"

He leapt off back where he came from and waved to the girl behind him. She waved back and watched as gracefully jumped between the trees and back into the dark part of the forest.

She quickly remembered she better get back to her _other_ group. She turned around and jogged back to stream to fill her bottle.

Little did okaasan know, that I was watching her! Sesshoumaru-sama said okkasan went to find water, so I ran off to help her. When okaasan was leaning over by river, I saw big wind coming. I was about to come and warn her but big wind got there before I did and out came a man!

He had long brown tail, but not as nice or soft as Fluffy! He had brown clothes and long black hair too! When he yelled to okaasan by her first name, I was sure that she liked him, but she didn't look like it though.

I heard a yell and a man with white hair and dog ears came flying out of the forest! He had the same white hair and golden eyes Sesshoumaru-sama had! I wonder if they are brothers? Anyway, two men got in fight and okaasan was feeling left out. But horrible wolves like the ones who killed Rin came up to the man in brown, I think his name was Kouga or Ko-ja. He ran off and told okaasan good-bye.

When he left, okkasan got really sad, she ran to white-haired man and hugged him. I think he's name Inuyasha or something. She was really scared, I could tell. When Ko-ja twirled her around, she got really scared. She said she was scared that Ko-ja was gonna hurt her or something! I got really sad and scared when she said that!

Inuyasha or something hugged her and asked if she was okay. I could tell that she was crying. Then suddenly, the funny man with white hair looked at her and kissed her! Right on the mouth! It was so cute! I thought for sure okaasan was about to hold back, but she kissed him back! I almost welt up in tears, it was so cute!

Then funny man got up and left, leaving okaasan alone. I thought it was almost mean, but she looked like she needed to get away. She got up and went back to stream, then I ran back to Sesshoumaru-sama, I wanted to tell him everything! Well, I might tell him, when okaasan is gone again.

Well, she's safe for another day. He touched his fingers to his lips, he still smelt the fruity lip-gloss she applied every day, it added a unique smell to her own scent. It also tasted good, almost like cherries or strawberries. _But I swear, I won't let Sesshoumaru lay a hand on her, as long as I live, I promised to protect her, I'll keep that promise._

He touched his fingers to his lips, he still smelt the fruity lip-gloss she applied every day, it added a unique smell to her own scent. It also tasted good, almost like cherries or strawberries. 

"Inuyasha!" yelled a feminine voice.

He stopped and saw Sango running to him and Shippo on her shoulder, along with Miroku running beside her.

As they caught their breath, Sango managed to gag out "Did-" she coughed, "Did- did you find the demon…?"

He keh-ed at them, "Just smelly old Kouga. Wanted to know where Kagome was." he returned with a snort.

Miroku gasped, "Kouga? Did you two fight?"

He waved his right arm down his left, "See any scratches?" Miroku shook his head. "Didn't think so. We didn't fight. Kagome would kill me if I killed him."

Shippou was surprised at Inuyasha's two mentionings of Kagome. He hadn't said a word about since she left. _When Kikyou was pregnant Kagome was very quiet, and Inuyasha would snub her! He was so mean during those nine months! But he hardly ever talked to her, 'guess he thought he didn't need to. Poor Kagome, I hope she's safe. Hey! When I went to find Inuyasha the other day, he started to talk about her more. Huh… I guess he needed a little 'alone' time…_

He suddenly noticed that Kikyou wasn't here, he had almost forgot her. "Where's Kikyou?" he asked, sounding not the least annoyed or concerned.

"She went back to the village, she said she wasn't feeling well." replied Sango. _Yeah, she wouldn't be feeling well if I had had the chance to punch her the face like I wanted to,_ she thought, tightening her fist.

Sesshoumaru couldn't smell the scent of his brother on Kagome. Nor could he smell him before she left to go get water. But he did notice the big smile Kagome had on her face when she came back. At first he thought her and Rin had talked about something, but seeing as Rin had come back minutes before Kagome did, he didn't pry about such things.

Kagome started to heat up the ramen and other goods in a small fire and boiled the water. Rin was amazed at the 'magic' of the food, the water and electric burner. She gawked and oo-ed and aww-ed at the new century made items. Jaken snorted but watched Kagome's hands work the 'magic' upon the burner and was amazed as much as Rin at the instant fire it created. Sesshoumaru kept his guard up for signs of evil humans or demons that were anywhere by, but the only signs of some was a small, incredibly small village down south, behind a small mountain to the east.

He kept his gaze to the mountain, but watched Kagome out of the corner of his eye. Every passing day he spent with her made him feel better, stronger, happier. True he was strong, but only when it came to slaying demons, or keeping banished members from entering the western lands. But the feeling he got when she smiled, it warmed his heart. He felt like melting into a pool of sweet water when she laughed. He never felt so, good. The last time he got this feeling was when he was a child, when his mother would sing him songs, tell him stories, and make everything better when he was sad or cried.

What has happened? I don't understand why I took her in in the first place, but this new feeling. What is it?

He was deep in thought when Rin came up him.

"Sesshoumaru-sama?"

He snapped out of his thoughts and looked up to the young girl in front of him. She was holding a small bowl of chicken-flavored ramen, along with a pair of chopsticks sticking out of the side.

"Oneechan wanted Rin to give these to you! She says they are very tasty!" she said smiling.

Kagome blushed when Rin called her mother, right in front him Sesshoumaru. _She makes it sound like she's my true daughter, and that Sesshoumaru is father!_ She kept her gaze down toward her bowl, as her cheeks remained a deep crimson.

Even though he wasn't hungry, he accepted the bowl. He grinned as he saw her blush, he thought it looked rather good on her lightly tanned skin. It took all his power to keep the perverted thoughts come into his mind. Kagome was sitting down on her legs over to the side. When the breeze came to blow at them, it sent her skirt lifting off a couple inches. She just hoped it didn't show anything. And it didn't. Sesshoumaru tried to keep his mind on the things ahead, but they kept flowing back to girl a few feet away from him.

Tempting. Beautiful. Gorgeous. Brave. Heroic.

All of these words described her. _She is so beautiful, and yet she's brave. She is courageous, and yet she is kind. How can someone so… skilled be so tempting?_ He thought.

Kagome on the other hand was thinking about Inuyasha. _Why did he kiss me? It was utter bliss, but will Kikyou do when she hears about it?_ She gasped inside her head. _What if Inuyasha doesn't tell her! What will he do if we have a relationship and he NEVER tells her?_

She shook her head, _no, Inuyasha is not the kind to lie. Especially to his…_ she gulped down the word along with the rest of her ramen, _mate._

The hanyou grinned. His plan to finally get rid of the Inu Gang was working. He never thought that _this_ one would work. He knew their group rested souly upon love, love to their fellow man. Sango loved Inuyasha, Kagome, Miroku and Shippo. He tried putting her love to Kohaku under fine lines, but it didn't work.

He had tried putting the love between Kikyo and Inuyasha to the test. But instead he came up with cold stones. After she was burned he knew their love wasn't real. _Just a living dream for compassion,_ he thought.

All of the tests he had put them under, all the pain he knew they'd suffer, all the misery he cast upon them. And yet, they would always win.

Well not this time…

After their short meal, the group continues their walk. Ever since Kagome had come, Sesshoumaru started heading to the east. At first he thought he should go to his home, to let Rin rest and take care of some duties with land. But then he thought it wouldn't be safe with Kagome coming along.

But now he thought maybe they should return to the west. _She might need rest, she might be able to have some fun with Rin. There's only one way to find out, but should I?_

The little boy giggled and ran to the woman he loved. His hands lightly draped over the smooth marble rails. His clothes were the finest, made from satin and silk. They were colored with a beautiful silver-white glow. Tiny stars dotted the collar, arms and legs. His smile was more than happy, he felt wonderful.

As he topped the stairs he saw the wonderful woman he loved and ran to her with open arms. She sat upon a white, wired stool with her lap clear and her arms wide so he could come and sit with her. Her blonde dog ears were too cute upon her strawberry blonde hair. Even though she was taught to have human ears, she couldn't resist how fun it was have her normal ones popping out. Her eyes were as blue as the sky, they glittered and shone bright as the sun. Her perfect teeth lined her pink lips and the pink lines on her cheeks made her look like a porcelain doll, and the midnight-blue moon on her head matched her clothes; they were a sparkling blue, blue as the sea. They waved down to tropical-blue topaz at the bottom. If you looked at her in the morning sun, you could of sworn she was a goddess.

He finally reached her and crawled up to her lap, and she draped his legs over to the side so she could see him cock-eyed. Her smile warmed his heart and he loved how he snuggled into her grasp, and laid his head upon her chest, next to her beating heart. She kissed her son on the forehead, right on the beautiful night-blue crescent moon.

"Hi mother!" his voice sounded young and happy. He giggled like the seven-yeared boy he was.

"Hi sweetie!" she replied. Her voice sounded as sweet as honey and as pure as the shining star she was. She looked like an angel to his eyes, looking down at him, making sure he was alright. And her voice sounded like an angel along her looks.

They continued their talk upon the things only a family of royalty could talk of without seeming boring. His smile widened and his eyes glistened as she spoke of all the things he wanted to know and some things he ever understood, but her voice was enough to make it all seem clear.

His father was away, like he always was. When he left things to him never seemed to change. But when his father was gone to matters of great importance, which lasted longer thantwo weeks, his mother would bring him to his father's training area.

They would spend hours there, practicing the ways of fighting. Swordsman-ship, bows and arrows, everything that you could think of they practiced. But they never practiced using Sesshoumaru's claws. That was his father's job. Inutaishou would help him using his poison claws and speed along with his other natural abilities, not his mother.

No one but his father and mother would train him. No servant or teacher would disturb him while he was either of them. They would both know when meals came or the other parent was coming. Their senses were far greater than any other in the entire land.

But today they didn't train. They took it easy, it was a calm day, soft clouds rolled the sky and light breezes splashed the trees. It was the perfect day to do absolutely nothing. They talked and spoke and laughed and exchanged jokes. He felt like this day would be one to remember. And it was.

Soon he got out of her lap and took her hand and led her down the stairs eagerly. His boyish charm was delighting. His smile grew wider every time she saw him, and it warmed her heart to see him giggle and laugh. He led into the garden, across the rock-paved walkway and near her favorite benches, toward her favorite flower patch.

Roses, lilies and daises were grown all over the garden. Shrubs over grew every space available, and the patches of green were easy to see. He loved to come into the garden and play. Days when his father was away and his mother didn't train him. He would go into the bushes and find some secluded spot and play and slash at the shrubs and pretend he was a mighty demon and had battles and won every time. He loved it when he found squirrels and chased them around 'til it was time to come inside and eat. Spending time there was relaxing, and all so much fun!

He led his mother into the center, past the jacobs and the itteas, passing by the rose bushes that sprang up at open opportunities. When she saw the bushes she knew where her son was bringing her. She loved how no matter times she had to spend time away from him, he always remembered her favorite spot. He grinned at her goofy smile on her face.

When they finally stopped, they saw what they were looking for. In front of them was a beautiful fountain, it shimmered in the sunlight. It's glow shone from the sparkling spring water flowing down the cane of it, and into the pool of water surrounding it. It glistened and splashed itself. Her eyes were certainly showing happiness, she hugged her son. So tight he wasn't even sure if he was still alive, but he still smiled. She took his hand and led to the fountain, and sat on the edge with an open spot on her lap. He cuddled in her grasp and laid his head upon her chest once more. She caressed his hair, and hummed a melody she taught him. The sound of her heart and the song would surely put him to sleep, and he felt his eyes getting very heavy.

He slowly laid his eyes, and his breaths became more heavier and longer. Pretty soon he fell asleep in her lap, and she smiled at the angel-like face he had on. He's so beautiful, she thought. She picked his arms around her neck and his legs behind her waist and carried him back to palace. She heard the song in her head she had hummed before and sung it aloud. His head brought in the wonderful, sweet sounds and drifted off into pleasant dreams.

As she went inside, she strode past the parlor and dining area. She stopped and stood in front of the door, and watched as a servant came into the room, drying her hands with a towel, or something they used to dry things. She saw the servant look upon the sleeping child and nodded to her that she was not going to eat tonight. The servant bowed and took up the plates of delicious food on the table, both cold from the delay of the two eating.

She continued on her way, past the training rooms, past the living area and guest wing. She turned west into her son's wing, where all his needs would be put together: his bedroom, his training room, his 'have fun' room. She walked into his room and looked around the very large space.

A large futon/bed stood in the middle. It was covered in red sheets of satin, gold stripes of silk lined every space of the bedspread. Pillows of red, gold, dainty yellow and deep scarlet betrayed the available spaces. On the bottom of the comforter, a very large "S" was engraved in the material in a shining marigold color.

Deep crimson curtains draped and hung over the windows. To the front of the room, near the door leading to the hallway there was books upon books of shelves of demon literature. A giant rocking chair stood in front of a large window. The window was open and the drapes swirled in the wind, the sun was already half-way down the horizon.

She walked over to futon next to the large window and lifted her son into the satin sheets. She laid his head onto the soft pillows and covered him in a thin sheet, afraid the night was already too hot itself, so he wouldn't need a thick blanket. She gently strolled over to the side and propped his arms over his chest so it wouldn't fall over the side. She gazed down at her sleeping son and saw his adorable face and kissed on the forehead once more. She quietly walked to the chair and sat down on the soft material. She watched the first stars show up in the sky and gazed out at the fully setting sun. The breeze played with her hair and her kimono, sending it rippling and making soft, flapping noises. Her eyes shone brighter in the moonlight and sparkled with new tears setting upon them.

How's that for a happy ending? Sad isn't it? Poor Sesshoumaru had a miserable childhood after his mommy died. But I figured that I should brighten it up a bit by putting in some sweet tales! Please tell what u thought of the kissing scene from last chapter! I want know how I should end this very, oh how can I say it... story! I promise there will be more lovey-dovery scenes in the near future! Fluff...

Will Kouga find Kagome with Sesshoumaru? Yes. In the later chapters. Patukum


	7. A Crying Soul

Love and Ice  
Chapter 7  
A Crying Soul

Kikyou sat infront of her child. Her eyes were as cold and dark as the night sky. She left Inuyasha earlier, saying she felt a little sick, when all she wanted to do was to get away from him. After following the evil hanyou's orders, she was sure to be done by now. But no, nearly a year after what she was told to do, she was _still_ with him. It disgusted her to kiss his lips, they only reminded her and made her want to pursue her directions.

The tiny child squeaked at the no longer warmth of her mother. Kikyo's eyes filled with tears, she couldn't do what she wanted. No, she _could_ do it, both of them. She wanted to kill Inuyasha and have her baby all to herself. No, if she killed Inuyasha and kept her baby, then it would remind her of what has filled her with pure hatred. _This child has ¼ demon blood in herself, that damned hanyou is evil beyond reasoning. Why couldn't I be blessed to have a child of **normal** expectations?_ She asked herself.

She leaned forward and hummed a melody she knew by heart. She had hoped that some day she would find someone like her and share a child with them, but not like this. The child she had now was more than what she wanted. No, it was beyond what she wanted, and she hated it.

She stared at the child's face. Her hair was beginning to grow on her bald little head and you could tell it was black. She had two small dog ears upon the top of her head, they had a deep, deep, incredibly deep shade of navy blue in them. It was almost black. She was wrapped in a dark blue blanket, to keep her warm. Even though it was 80 degrees outside. Kikyo swayed back and forth, trying to get her back to sleep.

The very night that Kuro-Inuko was born Kikyo had followed an extra order of Naraku. He had told her that this was the most important thing to do when the child was born. If she didn't follow his instructions, then the plan would be shattered, and Kikyo would never get her revenge. Not to mention that Naraku wouldn't have the upper hand anymore. He would be as good as dead if the plan didn't work.

--- --- --- --- ---

Kikyo woke up, hours after she had Kuro-Inuko. She looked to her 'mate' and saw he was fast asleep. With unwilling power, she got up and went outside. She shifted around the plants and shrubs, passed the trees and other huts. She was soon in The Forest of Inuyasha. She followed the worn path of dirt to the Sacred Tree. The very place where she kissed Inuyasha and the very place she wanted to be erased from memory and of time. She looked to the sleeping child in her arms.

She walked to the Sacred Tree and leaned before it. She placed her newborn before it and shifted back a few feet. Soon a dark, purple aurora filled around her. She looked to air and saw a sickening sight. Naraku came down to her wearing his white baboon pelt and a smug grin on his face.

"Well done, Kikyou... you have served me well. I am surprised that you have actually survived these past 9 months... very good."

She gritted her teeth.

"Is Inuyasha awake?"

She looked down to the child before her. "No, Naraku. Inuyasha has no idea I'm here."

"Good. Let us begin the process."

Kikyou slightly nodded and lifted the child in hands, she stood up and walked to him. He lifted his arms up and took the child from her arms. He looked at its heart shaped head and smiled.

"I believe she will be an excellent addiction to my workers...

"Of course, not after you, Kikyo..."

She bared her teeth.

He turned Kuro-Inuko around and placed body-facing Kikyo into her arms again. He lifted a part of her bundle of clothing off at looked at her bare-back showing. He grinned.

He took his right arm and pointed out his index and middle fingers so his claws outstretched to touch the tiniest of things, including jewel shards. He looked cautiously at the beginning of her back.

"Perfect..."

He touched the skin of her back and a deep purple mist flowed onto her free back. Her eyes snapped open, but she didn't scream. Her chocolate eyes became dull and their shine faded. Well, what little shine showed off of them.

A dark purple spider mark began to show on her back and eat its way onto the rest of her back. He took his hand off her back and looked at his work. _Now, this child belongs to me. And as soon as it comes of age, it'll be ready to serve me; and my desires for the jewel._

Kikyou seemed to have read the last part right out of his head, "Naraku... if you desire this child so much, why does it not bother you that her father is your arch enemy? Or did it not cross your mind until now? Already too late..."

He squinted his eyes, "It doesn't bother me. As long as Inuyasha dies, I'll always have a piece of him to remind me that _I_ killed him, and that the woman he loves and the child he has don't love him back, nor show any sympathy for his death."

Kikyo looked at Kuro-Inuko who looked like she had seen better days, except there would be no way she could seen better days since she was just born and only red and pink before her entry to the outside world. She lifted the blanket onto its rightful position and took Kuro-Inuko back into her arms. She gave her hatred face back at Naraku once more, and he _grinned _at her!

"The mark will subside within a few hours. When she awakes it'll disappear, and will not show until I may need you again..."

Kikyou interrupted him, "How much longer do I have to stay with Inuyasha?" she said with a cold voice.

"Kukuku, Kikyo. This has only begun. Since this child is part demon it will grow up faster and be very talented at killing. So, I would say only a few more years."

"YEARS!?!" she yelled. "I CAN NOT STAY WITH THAT WRETCHED HANYOU FOR MORE THAN ANOTHER DAY!!"

"Well... try and find some spell to make her grow up faster. By the way... what did you name it?" he asked, sounding as bored as ever.

She down at the still awake Kuro-Inuko. "Kuro-Inuko" she said, softening her voice just a bit.

"Black-dog-child?"

She nodded.

"It suits her... to match her dark future ahead?" he added with a smirk.

"To match my hate for you." she replied coldly.

"And Inuyasha...?" he said, reading her mind.

"My hatred for Inuyasha is _nothing_ like my hatred for you, _Onigumo_." she said with a smirk.

He frowned and slapped her face. "I am NOT Onigumo, he said with a low voice, "Onigumo was a pathetic human. I owe my life to him, but it makes no difference."

She pressed her hand to her right cheek, she felt the burn of his claws swiped across, leaving a red mark as big as her fist implanted on it. "Damn you Naraku...." she said quietly.

He smiled, "I hope you learned your lesson Kikyo. Now get back to your _mate_." He said while he turned away.

"Yes, Master Naraku."

She turned and walked back to Kaede's hut. She kept one hand on her cheek to keep another's eyes from seeing the horrid mark, and the other wrapped tightly around Kuro-Inuko. She heard Naraku take off on his pelt and in to the air, back to his safe hideout. When he was far enough away, she slowed and stopped in front of a large tree, and wept until her eyed turned as red as Inuyasha's jacket.

----Sesshoumaru & Company----

Sesshoumaru walked to the edge of the clearing. _Well, _he thought, _I've walked all around my grounds. I have not smelt or seen Inuyasha, nor any demons who aren't welcome to my land_. He looked behind him and saw his company, Jaken was muttering to himself behind maybe 10 feet away from Sesshoumaru and Kagome was speaking to Rin about a 'magazine' in her hands. She pointed out the pictures and words and read them aloud so Rin could realize a few lessons in schooling. He saw her flash her smile at Rin and laugh as Rin read aloud a section called, '_10 Tips for Thin Thighs!_' she almost got it right, crossing out a few words that were impossible for her to decipher.

He sighed. _Why do I feel this way? What is this new emotion? I've never felt like this... no, I have felt this. But only once, and it was with my mother..._ he thought. Once more me could not over come the new emotions running through his veins. He felt happy one minute, and sad as a lost puppy the next. _'WHY DO FEEL THIS WAY!?'_ he wanted to yell so loudly.

_I know why... _

He looked behind to Kagome once more.

_It's because of her._

Kagome had failed to notice the glances and stares she earned from Sesshoumaru. She was too preoccupied with teaching Rin little lessons of life. Schooling, reading, writing, and facts about their gender. It donned on her about that when she asked Rin to get something from her bag, and instead she found her belongings when she was in heat. It was less embarrassing than she thought it was, because Sesshoumaru was, thank god, out of hearing and sight.

Kagome and Rin bumped into Jaken, finding that he had stopped because Sesshoumaru had stopped. They looked to him and saw he was watching a bunch a tress that clumped together so you couldn't see what was behind it.

Kagome gasped, _I feel the presence of a Shikon shard!_ "Rin," she said not looking at the child, "stay behind me." She was confused at first, but reached to Kagome's bag behind her and pulled out Kagome's bow and arrows. She gave them to her and jumbled behind her legs to keep safe. Kagome squinted her eyes to see the exact location of the shard, but it was blurry and she couldn't find the exact spot.

Sesshoumaru watched her out of the corner of her eyes and saw her reaction to the youkai in front of them. _The girl is fast,_ he thought. A rumble from the bushes reached his ears and he took refuge.

Suddenly a very large neko youkai thundered toward Sesshoumaru. His large fangs were coaxed and covered with blood. His nails and paws were drenched with the smell of human and youkai death. It sickened Sesshoumaru's nose to smell the foul odor. It took all his strength to not cover his sensitive nose and run back to a free meadow to smell sweet grain.

"Sesshouamaru!" it sneered, baring it's huge fangs. The demon obviously didn't know his own record and didn't know that he'd be dead by the time he started to attack. "Die!"

He quickly jumped from the youkai into the air and caught the cat by surprise. He took his poison claws and cut the youkai's left arm into slices of shredded strips. It yelped in hurt but other than took no notice. He heard chuckling underneath the cat's breath and growled.

"Sesshoumaru!" it laughed. "You cannot defeat me with your own poison! I'm immortal by it! Besides, my dangerously venomous blood in my veins has drenched your arm and is already intoxicating your body as we speak!" It laughed cruelly.

Sesshoumaru already began to feel light-headed and felt the urge to fall into sleep. But he wouldn't let such a demon kill him and gain ownership of his lands. _Such a fool, I am Lord of the Western Lands! I am undefeatable!_

He jumped and slashed the demon, clawing off a bit of his skin and flesh, but it only made him woozier and want to lie down. He pushed once again his own force and brutally clawed at him, and like his brother began fighting without a purpose.

Kagome was beginning to see the resemblance of Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha. Although if Inuyasha was fighting right now than he be flying his attacks with absolutely no purpose. She shook her head, _no! This is NOT the time to dream about Inuyasha! Sesshoumaru needs your help!_ She took her arm back and pulled on the string of her bow, and tried to see where the shard was. _I can't see it strait! Why can't Sesshoumaru hold back and let that demon fall down to one specific location! UGH!_ Her anger built up and was trying so hard to not let it erupt.

"Sesshoumaru!" she called loudly.

He fell to his feet to catch his breath and looked to her.

"Get out of the way!"

Confusion washed over his face, but he turned swiftly and paced back as far as he could without looking desperate.

The neko was astonished, "What are you doing foolish mortal?!" he called out.

"I can do this," she said to herself, "HAH!" at that point she let go of her awaiting arrow and watched it soar to him, the pink lighting surrounded it and made the atmosphere around them seem transparent. The arrow shot through the air and into his heart, "NOO!" it cried, it disburse into the air and its remains piled onto the ground.

Kagome seized this chance by running up the remains, in case it was able to revive its self. She searched throughout the blood and found three shards of the sacred jewel in the flesh. She was grossed out by the yucky ness, but she was the only one who could pick up the shards without being corrupted by the evil that lurked deep inside.

Rin ran to her as she picked up the shards, "Haha-ue!" she cried. Kagome turned to her, "Haha-ue! That was amazing!" she said with a smile on her face. Kagome laughed but quickly remembered Sesshoumaru. She looked behind her and saw a dumbfounded-looking demon lord.

_My God! Her arrow struck right into the heart! The last time she did that it couldn't hit my arm!_ He was far beyond astonished. He was bewildered.

Kagome and Rin walked to him "Sesshoumaru-sama?" Rin said weakly. "Are you alright?"

"L-lord Sesshoumaru!"

Jaken bumbled past Kagome and Rin, "Lord Sesshoumaru! Are you hurt my lord!?"

His face quickly left the astonished look and his usual mask covered his amazement. "I'm fine Jaken. This poison is weak. I will recover." He said very coolly.

Kagome noticed the very bad burn on his arm, and put her hand by the burn, "Sesshoumaru, your arm is badly wounded." She said worriedly.

He looked her in the eyes, "I'll be fine."

"But-"

"I'll be FINE." He said a little more sternly.

She snatched her hand back and poised it by her chest, "Of course." _That JERK!_ She yelled inside her head, _he's worse than Inuyasha! Try to be nice and where does it get you? Certainly not farther than a compliment! Why did I ever think he was nice! Forget him!_ Kagome started to walk back to her bike, and Rin followed her back, hoping she would still be able to ride in the basket.

--- --- ---

It was nearly nightfall when they stopped. After the small battle against that neko youkai, Kagome had stayed away from Sesshoumaru, it seemed she was still mad at him. _He's FAR worse than Inuyasha! Why did I ever come with him?_ She thought it was time for her to go back with Sango and Miroku, and to see Shippou and Kirara once more. She didn't know if she'd be able to face Inuyasha or Kikyou again, not after Inuyasha's kiss. She decided that she couldn't face Kikyou anymore, and that meant she couldn't see Inuyasha anymore, and that's what saddened her.

She pulled out her sleeping bag and an extra blanket. She called Rin to her side, and gave her some dry bread, seeming she was getting low on supplies, which meant she would have to back home soon. Which was now fine with her.

Seeing as how Jaken and Sesshoumaru were youkai, she didn't give them anything to eat or pay any mind to them. She was relived to see Sesshoumaru walk off, obviously trying to kill something for dinner, even though he and Jaken would be the only ones eating. She pulled out her magazine Rin was reading earlier and found the page she stopped at, since this was a new issue, she hadn't got to read all of it.

Rin fell asleep by her side, she pulled the blanket across her small body and traced the pattern lazily in her sleep. Kagome saw Jaken was sleeping already, and drooling. Ugh, it was one of the things she hated seeing, but she got used to it, almost. She read the paragraph she stopped reading and found something she could of used a while back.

_How To See If A Guy Likes You!_

_All girls want to know if guys like them, it's a human thing. But guys can be awkward, and sometimes can't even make the first move. But boys and girl are shy, so it's hard to tell. Your best friend might have to tell you that someone likes you or even that you like someone! Some people are even blind to see that! Don't worry! We have answered your prayers! Here are tips that will make you more enthusiastic about your maybe already starting relationship:_

_1. He acts strangely around you._

_Example:_

_2. He blushes when he sees you coming._

_3. He fixes up his appearance when he sees you coming._

_4. Talks different when he's talking to you or you are near him._

_5. When he gives you something even when you don't need it._

_6. When another people dis or insult you he defends you._

_7. When he yells at you for the littlest things_.

_8. Shows his affection toward you in a public setting, just to show you that he really does dig you._

She sighed; this was getting her no where. Kagome didn't realize that the last four happened to her whether she was in the feudal ear or in modern time, where ever and when ever. (swing and a miss!)

_9. He asks you more than once_.

_Well, Houjou is a nice guy._ She thought, trying to keep her thoughts off Inuyasha, _he's sweet, he's kind, he's asked me out more than once. And he's in my time, so there would be no problem me seeing him, go to school, meet Houjou at the movies or something, and go back to the feudal era. It could work..._

No it can't.

She knew in the back of her mind that it could never work.

_Of course it can!_

No IT CAN'T! You don't like him!!!

_Yes I do! I like the same way I like Ayumi, Eri and Yuka!_

You idiot! Not _that_ way!!! Get it through your dillusion!!!

She sighed again, she was having a fight against herself. One side told her to go out with Houjou and make his day by actually accepting and actually going.

But another part of her said to stay away. You don't like him, and if both don't, it'll never work, you know deep down it won't.

This was all too confusing. _Love is a complicated emotion..._ she lowered herself into her sleeping bag and snuggled down into the warmth of it by Rin and pulled the young child up to her chest, like she would do with Shippou or even Kirara. She drifted off into her dreams, hoping that they wouldn't be about her love that she couldn't have. But unfortunately, they were...

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Haha! Yet another cliffhanger! Hehaha! I am so evil... and I like it! As you can plainly see, Sessi is starting to really dig Kagome, But she's blind to see it. But hey, we all are actually. I couldn't find the perfect name for Inu and Kik's baby so I tries I mix of stuff that I loved. But I promise that Kag and Inu will reunite again and have a very long talk about their feelings. But the bad thing is, Inu is even more torn between his feelings for Kikyou and Kagome, why else would he kiss her?  
**Reviewers:  
**Betahany!---- You rock!  
IYKag4Ever---- wish I could do more!  
Kunshun Hedohsi--- course I'll thank you, my neechan! -_blows kiss_-  
AlixMM--- finally! Someone understands!  
Amai-Sukume--- Keep revieing- you rock out loud!  
**Dictionary:**  
Kuro-Inuko- black-dog-child  
Neko- cat  
Haha-ue- formal version of 'mother'  
Ja! Pat-chan


	8. Dream, Again?

Love and Ice   
Chapter 8   
Dream, Again?

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha and Co, nor the melody Antinomia.

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Kagome heard sweet music playing around. There were no lyrics, hardly a tune. But the song came in loud and clear. It sounded like a faint melody she had head from her grandfather's record player, it was a piano solo, something called Antinomia. In ran through her fingertips like water in a pool or a comb through silken hair. It was the perfect moment.

She looked around her, she was in a beautiful garden. Roses and sakura's lined the wonderfully carved wire fence. She turned to her right and saw statues upon statues of couples holding hands, hugging, kissing and shedding tears of happiness and sorrow, cradling their lovers in their arms.

She was in a botanical garden.

It was nighttime, the dark sky was lined with tiny dots of lights and a full moon made the darkness around seem less scary than she thought. She stared long at the moon, carefully lining her eyes the curves and shifts of the ground of the small mini-like earth. It glowed not a white, or very pale yellow, a silver.

Silver like his hair. His silky, shiny hair. The hair she never touched or felt. She longed to actually get within 3 feet of it. So pretty to see, so wonderful to feel. She once touched it, but it wasn't what she thought it would be. It wasn't the same if he wasn't awake.

She suddenly realized that she wasn't wearing her school uniform. She looked down and saw she was wearing a long, dark blue dress. Waves of light blue and tropical splashed the edges and ends. Small golden and silver stars were specked upon bottom and top. It was a strapless dress, carefully bending her beautiful figure perfectly. It was made just for her. It reached her feet so low you couldn't see them, but she wore shiny silver high-heels that wrapped her small ankles perfectly. She heard a sound come from behind a large fountain and swirled around so fast her dress flowed freely behind her, like her hair which was cascading down her back, curled and small sections were held up by silver clips of diamonds and dark blue topaz.

A voice broke the silence around them.

"Kagome?"

She jumped at the softness of his voice, she had never heard it so, relaxed.

"Hai?"

"I have to ask you something..."

She smiled and placed her hands behind her as she walked to a dark figure leaning by the cane of the fountain.

"Go on..."

There was a break between their voices. She could hear his scarce breaths and heavy breathing. She could hear her own heart beating rapidly, and she was sure that he could hear it too.

The figure moved up to a strait position and walked toward her. He was wearing a red tuxedo, not a bright red, but a deep scarlet. She could see faint outlines if his cute hanyou ears popping out of his silver hair, it shimmered in the moonlight and his golden eyes glowed with compassion and hope for a better life, she could see he was pressing something he should of done a long time ago. Suddenly he was in front of her, he took her hands from behind her and placed them in his grasp, and looked deep in her eyes.

"Do you... love me?"

Her eyes widened. Did he just say that? Did he just say the words I've wanted to hear for so long?

He leaned his face a bit closer to her own.

"I need to know..."

Her eyes brimmed with tears, not out of sadness, but out of happiness and relief.

"Yes..." she gasped out.

The music she heard earlier suddenly grew just a pinch louder, now you could hear the wonderful rhythm and beat. It was a slow song and the mood was set to perfection...

------_End of Dream_------

She woke up.

Her body felt much better than she ever felt. She leaned up looked around at the forest, _just a dream..._ she pulled on her too warm sleeping bad, _a wonderful, blissful dream._ She sighed and looked down to the sleeping Rin beside her, she had rolled off Kagome's sleeping bag and was wrapped in the blanket she loaned to her. She looked all around to see where Jaken and Sesshoumaru was. She saw Jaken running back and forth between Ah and Un's heads, apparently feeding the two-headed beast.

"Good morning Jaken," she whispered.

Jaken squawked and turned toward her, apparently wanting to say something, but Kagome brought her fingers to her lips and made a shushing sound, pointing down toward the still asleep Rin. He grumbled to himself and set down a water bowl for the pet to drink from.

Kagome climbed out of her sleeping bag and folded it as quietly as she could. When she was all packed up, she picked up Rin and set her on Ah and Un's back, and twisted ropes around her bike to the huge girth of it's packing.

She took two jewel shards she had not put onto her chunk yet and handed them to Jaken, "I have to go home again, please tell Sesshoumaru that I will return. These will help me find you if I cannot yet to you quickly." With that, she stood up and walked back toward the path to the well that was covered up by grass and such.

"B-but human! Sesshoumaru-sama has not given you p-permission to leave yet!" he said, bumbling after her.

She turned toward him, "Jaken, of I don't go home now, how will you ever get more of the tasty octopus I gave you a few days ago?" she asked with puppy eyes.

He stopped, "Hm... good point."

"Well that settles it! See ya in a few days!" she said while running off.

----Inuyasha Gang----

Inuyasha smelt the air.

_Kagome_... he thought with love in his inner voice.

He felt himself breath a sigh of relief, _she's alright. She's going back to the well, no one touched her or injured her, but why am so paranoid?_

They had stopped again. After they went out again, Sango got a very bad wound, she broke a small but important bone in her right arm, which meant that she couldn't throw her giant boomerang. _I hate that demon, _thought Sango, _I hope that neko youkai dies for all I care._ She picked up a blade of grass from the meadow she was in and twirled it, since she had nothing else to do.

Shippou bounced up to her, "Sango! Are you feeling any better?" he asked in his squeaky voice.

"Well, if Kagome was here, she'd give me some of that aspirin stuff she has, it wouldn't hurt so much then." She replied, with a bit of sadness in her voice.

"....I miss her too," he said after some time, sitting down in an almost fetal position.

She smiled at him, _he's so young. And yet he's so smart, he's been like this ever sense Kagome left. I guess losing his only and last parent would hurt him more, but he can't show it._ She felt like welling up in tears, _poor Shippou._

---

His ears twitched.

_Kagome, what have you done? What have _I _done? I've kissed you, you've kissed me back, what am I supposed to do?_

"Inuyasha..." said a cold voice.

He snapped out of his thoughts. "Huh?"

"You've been quiet all morning. What is wrong?" Kikyou sat down next to him; she was holding Kuro-Inuko in her arms. Her expression was masked with the same face she gave everyone.

"I'm trying to find out where Naraku is, what'd you think?" he replied with a snort.

Her eyebrows brimmed together in anger, _this stupid dog is so unbearable. I can't stand to be near him for more than another day. Damn Naraku, damn the jewel and damn Inuyasha! _She screamed in her head.

She got up, "I'm going to see if Kaede needs help. Call me when your in a better mood, Inuyasha." His name made her mouth fill with a salty, icky taste. She felt like hated him more than she hated Naraku. She walked back to the village, hoping to get away from her mate.

His ears twitched again, _dammit! Why can't I think strait?! So I kissed someone and it wasn't my mate BIG DEAL!!! It's not like anyone's gonna know or tell..._

His eyes widened.

_But someone does know, Kagome_.

He shook his head.

_NO!!! KAGOME WOULD NEVER DO THAT!!! She is nice, fun, sincere and she can keep a secret. Hell, she's kept this whole feudal era thing for almost a year. I can trust her..._

He stood up and looked out to the field he was in. He could see the forest named after him and smelt her scent going toward it. His expression softened and he smiled slightly. He suddenly jumped quickly through the trees and toward his forest.

_I have to see her again..._

_I have to see Kagome..._

_I don't care if she wants to see me or not, I don't care if Kikyo and everyone else knows. I have to see her..._

---Modern Time---

Kagome walked through her front doors again, "I'm home!" she called not so quietly.

"Kagome?"

Her mother came out from behind the sink, drying a dish. "You're back so soon? It's only been a week."

She closed the door. "Well, I didn't get all the things I needed last time, and I remembered we have a very important exam tomorrow, so there's an explanation." She said, not lying at all.

"Well, I suppose you know what tomorrow night is too." Her mother said smiling and setting down the dish.

"What's happening tomorrow night?" she asked with confusion.

"Why the dance of course!" she said walking towards her daughter. "It's your freshman dance! You know, I think it's called 'Love Bites?"

She thought, "Oh yeah, I forgot all about the dance."

"Well, change into something more comfortable, and I'll take you to Kaicas. It'll be a little expensive, but this dance I bet will make you feel better!" she said, walking into the living room to get her purse.

_Kaicas? The place to buy prom dresses and all that_? She thought, trying to absorb her mother's words.

"Oh! Alright!" she ran up the stairs and into her room. She tossed her bag onto her bed and reached into her closet for something to where. She pulled out a light blue short skirt and a violet shirt. She grabbed her purse and ran back down the stairs into the living room where her mother was tapping her foot.

"Let's go," she said smiling.

----Inuyasha----

He jumped out of the well. He opened the door and looked out to the bright sky. He sniffed the air, trying to catch her scent. He caught it quickly and saw her and her mother walk out the door and follow down the steps into the already busy streets of Japan.

_Where's she going with her mom? _He thought. He didn't think it'd be right to follow her while she was with kin, so he stepped back into the well house and sat down.

_I'll wait for her._

He shifted down into a position to lay in.

_I'll wait 'til she comes back. Then I'll find a way to talk to her._

He nodded off into a sleep he didn't know was laying beneath his tough skin.

----Around 7:30pm----

Mrs. Higurashi opened the door to her home, once again. Souta and Jii-chan were sitting in the living room, watching the first annual baseball game of the season. Souta turned toward the two. "Huh? Kagome? What are you doing here?"

She tsh-ed him, "The last time I checked, I lived here."

Souta sweatdropped and turned back to television set, which was airing some commercial about toothpaste. Jii-chan stepped up and walked toward Kagome, who was holding something over her shoulder in a huge plastic bag, the ones you'd probably find a laundry mat.

"And where, just have you two been since this morning?" he asked, knitting his brows together.

Mrs. Higurshi simply walked past him, ignoring his questioning attitude. "Where have _you _been, Jii-chan?" she asked with a smirk.

Kagome smiled, her mother always kept secrets between her and her daughter a secret, no matter how hard it was. She always understood and gave her the best and always right advise she needed for 16, no matter how hard the situation or how torn you could be.

"I'll be upstairs mom!" she called walking towards the stairs.

"I'll be up there in a few to make it perfect!" she called after her only daughter.

Kagome closed her door behind her and placed her large plastic sack on her bed. She pulled off her purse and threw it somewhere on her desk. She quickly changed out of her outfit and started to unzip the plastic bag.

She finally opened it and pulled out something she bought about an hour ago. The dress she bought was almost exactly like what she looked like in Inuyasha's haori. As much as she wanted to get over him, she fell in love with it the minute she saw it.

It was a red dress- as red as his haori. It cut at the mid-thigh, shorter than her knee-skirt she usually wore. She was wearing a dress that emphasized every curve of her comely body, hugging her torso, and flaring into a full skirt that fell into soft folds a few inches above her knees. The wide scoop neckline dipped low enough to reveal a just a hint of cleavage, and it had very short, cap sleeves which accentuated her strong muscled arms. The deep garnet red of the material set off her smooth creamy skin and the flush of her cheeks.

Just as she finished pulling it on and smoothing the front, her mother burst through the door. "Oh Kagome!" she said with a happy smile, "You look simply beautiful!" she squealed not-so-softly.

She ran to her daughter and hugged her. "I know your going to have fun at the dance tomorrow night, but we have to make it so you look good while having fun..." so she twirled her daughter around and sat her on the chair and began brushing her raven black hair.

----Inuyasha---

Inuyasha had woke with a start, he heard someone squeal and jumped out of the wellhouse. He landed next to Kagome's bedroom window and looked in. He could hardly believe his eyes. Kagome stood there wearing that red and incredibly short dress and showing a lot of skin. Her shoulders were well relaxed and made her look as fragile as porcelain. He remembered the times when she had to wear his haori and realized she looked like that right now! He saw Mrs. Higurashi run to her and embrace her, telling her something he could hardly decipher. He strained his ears and got in a word or too.

"I know your going to have fun at the dance tomorrow night..."

_Dance? What's a dance? _He looked dumbfounded and incredibly cute trying to figure out what she meant.

She set Kagome down and picked up what they a called a 'brush' and combed it through her thick hair. For hours upon hours they stayed there, talking about what she was going to wear with her dress, straiting and curling her already curly hair and putting make-up on her pretty face.

Inuyasha just sat there by her window and watched them. He occasionally glanced toward Mrs. Higurashi, to make sure she didn't see him but he kept his gaze mainly upon Kagome. _Kagome... Kagome... Kagome..._

----Early Morning----

Kagome walked down her steps of The Higurashi Shrine. She jumped a step at a time, and was smiling the brightest she had ever done. She felt happy and giddy. She hardly slept the night before, she was in anticipation for the dance that night. She felt that the night would brighten her attitude and help her get through her so-called love life. She raced down the busy street into the over-crowded town.

If she had turned around, she would probably seen a with dog ears and white hair, jumping between the buildings and keeping his eye on the 16year-old girl. Inuyasha had been up since at least 5am. He slept in the Sacred Tree and watched her through her window until she woke up. Her even breaths and no whimpering in nightmares made his heart leap up. He kept his gaze upon her and made sure she didn't run into anybody and keep her safe.

By the time Kagome got to school she realized that her friends were running after her and saying her name. When she turned around they were huffing and puffing and trying to catch their breath. When they finally did they all asked about her relationship with her boyfriend was, and Kagome choked at their words. Inuyasha nearly spat up as well when he heard them ask about a '_boy-friend_.'

_SHE HAS A BOYFRIEND?! _He screamed inside his head.

Kagome sorta frowned, her good morning just ran down the drain, she told them what she planned to say since that morning. She thought of it when she was running, "Oh... you mean him?" she asked, trying to sound bored.

"Yeah! Of course him! Who else would we be talking about?" piped Eri.

"So don't keep us waiting Kagome," said Yuka, "what's happened?"

She sighed and placed her hands behind her head, looking as bored as ever, "Oh, we broke up." She said flatly.

Yuka and Eri's eyes shot open, "_What _are talking about Kagome?!" they nearly yelled.

"We broke up." She said again.

Yuka leaned forward, "You guys were like, going out for like, almost a year Kagome, what can you mean '_broke up'_?"

"Yeah you were made for each other!"

"Who is he with now?"

"His old girlfriend."

"I thought they were over."

"Yeah!"

"Well, apparently not."

Kagome turned and started walking to the open doors of her school, and her friends ran after her, and chatted away about Kagome's 'old boyfriend'.

Inuyasha sat on top of her school, watching her and her friends ask questions about her so-called 'boyfriend'. He sat there in amazement, _who were they talking about_? Then it donned on him, _were they talking about me?!? Kagome's friends think I'm her boyfriend?! Did Kagome say I was? No, Kagome doesn't lie, she probably maybe gave off hints that a guy was around her that she liked or something..._

----Sesshoumaru and Company----

"Jaken."

The little toad sat up from behind Ah and Un and raced toward the young lord. "Y-yes M-milord!"

"Where is the girl?" he asked with a blank face.

"S-she left, milord. I told her that she wasn't allowed to leave, but s-she did anyway."

Sesshoumaru frowned, _why did she leave so suddenly? Did I do something? _He thought of the day before when he snapped at her, _did I make her upset? I must have, or else she wouldn't of left so suddenly... great, I'm turning into my idiot half-brother..._

Jaken brought him out of his thoughts, "S-she gave me t-two shards of the jewel, saying that they would help her find us when she returns. Though I don't know any possible way she could find us with two tiny pieces of a jewel. _Stupid _human."

Sesshoumaru was about to slam him into a tree for saying that, but instead he took the two shards from Jaken's hands, "I will keep them."

"Huh-? Oh, y-yes Lord Sesshoumaru!"

For the rest of the day, Sesshoumaru and his followers walked not too far from the well, in case Kagome came back soon, but she didn't. Rin woke up a little after they started and was immediately worried about her sudden adoptive mother, "Sesshoumaru-sama! Where is Kagome-neechan?"

Sesshoumaru bit his lower lip, _just what I needed_. "She left, Rin. She went back to her home, she will be back soon. Just like last time."

"Oh, okay Sesshoumaru-sama!" piped Rin, happily. She was glad that her new okaa-san wasn't hurt or anything, losing your parents once was bad, but losing the only other person that showed kindness aloud, that would almost made her quit speaking in all, again.

Rin and Jaken didn't speak of Kagome for the rest of the day. Which made Sesshoumaru happy, he didn't want to think that it was his fault that Kagome left, even though it was.

A few hours later, he caught the scent of Inuyasha and his group. But no Inuyasha. _Where exactly has that hanyou gone?_

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

That about does it. I tried so hard to get this chapter done, it was droning on and on, and I didn't know how to end it, so here it is. Maybe I should of finished it with the dance, or maybe not.   
**Dictionary:   
**Hai- okay/yes   
Jii-chan- grandpa; grandfather   
Onee-chan- sister with a motherly figure   
Next chapter is '**Dance'**. Will she stay home because her love can't come? Or will she go, and if so, who will be her date and dance with? And why is Inuyasha following her around? Is he some kind of stalker? Or is he really in love with her, and too blind to see it? It's so tempting! I can't wait to see what I get in my mailbox. Thank you all so much for the kissing scene letters, I know that that happened almost 3 chapters ago, but I love them all! Send me more! Kum-chan


	9. Dance

Love and Ice  
Chapter 9  
Dance

A/N: Okay, I'm posting this song called Blue Moon… I don't know who the artist is but I like it. So… don't kill me. I'm also saying this is the **NEW** chapter 9… the old one I didn't like. So… blah. Onward!

------------------

Kagome stood in the line for her Gym class. It was about springtime, that meant the yearly fitness tests were beginning. She hated always having to run 3 miles then doing at least 50 crunches or so. But if the sweat and perseverance would take her mind off all things, then it was at least good for some things.

Katasami, some new kid from eastern Japan, (she could see he wasn't human, most likely a crane demon) walked up to Usadare- sensei, their Gym teacher, and braced himself on his left leg, ready to run the line across the field. Kagome sighed at this, it would be her turn soon and she was sure she would pull something, she had been walking with Sesshoumaru for, what it seemed like, endless days. She heard sensei say 'Go!' and Katasami run down the line.

Eri popped up out of no where into her line of vision, "AHH! Eri! How'd you get here? I thought you were with Yuka, doing your stretches!" Said Kagome, freaked out.

"Houjou just asked where you were! He wants to ask you about the dance!" she replied, looking happy.

"He actually said that aloud?" she asked, disbelieving herself.

"Well, he just asked to see you. But he always asks you out when he's looking for you!"

Yuka ran up to the two, and tugged on her shirt, with Arimi trying to keep up, "Come on, Kagome!"

"Yeah," Eri pushed her from behind, "It's the perfect way to get your stupid ex out of your mind!"

_They're talking about Inuyasha!_ She thought, completely forgetting that she told them that they broke up. "You, guys, its okay… I don't need this! I'm fine!"

"Are you kidding, Kagome?"

"Yeah, the only way to get a bad boy out your mind, is get a good guy in!"

_Why do they think Inuyasha is a bad boy? I mean, yeah he's sometimes a little mean… but that's no reason to think he's like, evil._

They pushed her a good 5 feet before they saw Houjou running up to them. "Higurashi!" he said, flaring his best smile.

"Uh, hey Houjou-kun," She said simply.

"We'll leave you two!" said her friends together, squealing and giggling. They walked back to line she was in, before telling each other about Kagome's 'ex'.

"So, how's your leg? Your grandpa said the blood vessels were snapping and caused a lot of pain."

Kagome could kill anyone right now, _why can't it be allergies or something?!_ "Oh, it's fine. I just think I'm gonna hurt it 'cause of the running for the test."

"Yeah! Me too!" he said giving her a great smile. "So, uh, you remember the dance tonight?"

Her heart skipped a beat, "Uh-huh, What was it called, 'Love Bites'? Nice name for a really late Valentine thing."

"Yeah! The staff tried to come up with something that they thought we'd like, apparently they can't." he said between laughing.

His ears twitched. _Who is this jerk who's hitting on Kagome?!_ He wanted to scream it aloud. _And why did Kagome friends say 'ask you out when you come back?' or something… Wait! Does that mean when Kagome's here she…_

"Well, I don't have a date for the dance, and since you just came back, you probably don't have one, so you wanna go together?"

"...That'd be great Houjou," she answered eventually. She wanted to get away from Inuyasha, but... goign out with Houjou would raise his hopes of her liking him. And she didn't.

His eyes flared red, or so he thought. _SHE SAID YES!?_

"Great!" he said, giving her the brightest smile she ever saw. "I'll meet you at your house around, 6:30?"

"Sure, see ya then," she turned and walked back to the line, where her teacher was impatiently tapping his foot. Her name was next, and he was supposed to do it alphabetically.

"You need to be faster, Ms. Higurashi. We can't have one person holding up the entire test. Of course, you still sick with that _horrible_ stomach virus, so I sympathize."

_I'm gonna kill Jii-chan_.

----

Kagome slipped on her shoes and looked at herself in the mirror once more. When she returned from school she began finding all her things she would need for the dance. She had on her new red dress along with some black tennis shoes she rarely wore but matched her outfit; pinkish eye shadow and blush were outlined on her face, with a touch of sparkle glitter, in the shades of pink and silver. At first she thought she almost looked like Sango with the pink eyes, _ohhh…. I'll have to think of the others later…_

She was certain this dance would help her clear her mind, but something inside nagged on her at the last second. _I would feel better if I was going to the dance with Inuyasha, but I can't. He's probably slopping saliva with Kikyo right now..._ thinking those words made her eyes water, but she brushed them off quickly, not wanting to make her mascara dread down her slightly pink cheeks.

_No! This is not the time to dream about Inuyasha! I can't have him!_ Her heart violetly rejected that thought, _I can't have him… he belongs to Kikyo… I can't have him, and that's that._

"Kagome!"

She heard her mother call her.

"Houjou's here!" she looked at her clock. _Hff! 10 minutes early!_

"Coming!" she picked up her new red purse she bought the day before with her dress and shoes. She straitened the ripples of the dress in the front. _You won't get over it if you don't get a new one…_ she opened and closed her door behind her and walked down the steps of the second floor.

When she reached the bottom she saw Houjou looking at her, no, scratch that, _staring_ at her, with mouth agape. He was dressed in a white shirt with a green outer shirt and light blue jeans, simple. He stuttered, "Kagome-is that-whoa-you look-I-_awesome_!"

She blushed underneath her make-up, "Thanks, you too." She smiled slightly.

Her mother interrupted them, "Well! You two have fun!"

"Thanks mom," she reached the last step and walked to Houjou.

"We'll be good, Mrs. Higurashi!" piped Houjou. It looked like he was going to make sure she knew he wouldn't do anything with Kagome, even though he wouldn't.

Kagome stepped by Houjou, "Let's go,"

Mrs. Higurshi pushed her daughter from behind, "You two go have fun! Fun, fun fun!" she smiled, "Be back by 10 though!"

Kagome nodded and closed the door behind her, hearing Houjou say, "Whew! No picture!" They both laughed, but it sounded hollow to her ears.

Houjou held out his hand, "Be my guest, Kagome?" he smiled her a million-dollar smile. She winced, _I don't to,_ she thought of Inuyasha and Kikyo, _but,_ she took his hand, _it's the only way._ It felt odd, no, scratch that, unnatural holding his hand, his warmth of the hand wasn't like the warmth of Inuyasha's hand. But they walked back to their school, hand-in-hand, one was in heaven and the other wishing they were dead.

But another was more than happy to kill one, it wasn't the one who made the wish. His eyes flared red, but not in his demon mode. _That jerk!_ His hands made themselves into fists, drawing blood onto his palms, _he's forcing her! She doesn't want to! I know she doesn't! I WILL make him see that!_

----

The entire Gym was colored in pink, red and white tapers. Practically all the freshman were there. There was a punch table and snacks of all sorts. Although she would rather liked to be in the botanical garden she dreamed and with her dream man, Kagome enjoyed being able to have a break apart from school and a break from finding jewel shards.

Her friends showed up near the door, and were all too happy to see Kagome an Houjou walking in, still hand-in-hand. "Kagome! Over here!"

Kagome looked at Houjou, "I'll go see my friends, meet me when you wanna dance, kay?"

Hojo smiled and fainted a blush on his cheeks, "Sure! See ya in a bit Kag!" he ran over to his friends, and started telling them he was _actually_ here with Higuarshi Kagome.

_Kag,_ she thought, _I always thought Inuyasha would be the one to call me Kag… not Houjou._ She walked over to her friends. Yuka was wearing a white spegetti dress , Eri was wearing a light blue spaghetti strapped dress and Arimi was wearing a green skirt with a pale green thin-strapped tank.

"Kagome!"

"You look great!"

"Awesome!"

"Why'd you send Houjou away?"

Kagome put her hand behind her head and scratched it, "I didn't really think he'd like it if he spent his free time with four girls…"

Inuyasha sat on the roof, looking through the glass paneling for the sunroof and searched his eyes for her. When he found her, she was still holding _his_ hand, and he was ready to kill someone. "Dammit! That jerk! He's taking Kagome away from me! Away from what she wants! I don't understand!" he was fuming with anger and jealousy.

He calmed down a bit and sat down with his shoulders slumped. "Okay… calm down. Think, what started all this?"

Well… you idiot, you just had to make out with Kikyou in front of her, didn't you?

He mentally kicked himself, _well, I guess that would make her go away…_

YOU IDIOT! Kissing Kikyo didn't make Kagome run away!!!

_Then what did?_

YOU _IDIOT_!

He scratched his head, _what did I do?_ Then it hit him like her 'sit' spell. _Oh… am I THAT dense?_

_Gee_, ya think?!

He sighed, this was getting him no where. He was so stupid he didn't even realize that this was his fault at the beginning, he was so caught up with the fast moving relationship with Kikyou, he didn't even realize he was hurting Kagome in a way she never felt. Just kissing the un-dead miko made her cry, hugging her made her heart sink and seeing _her_ while he was in pain, that just made her feel like dirt.

I just had to didn't I? I just had to….

"I wish I could go back in time and never met Kikyou at that stupid tree!" he nearly yelled.

_No,_ he thought, _I can't say that. I can't curse the tree, because that's where I first met Kagome… cursing that tree would mean, I'm cursing Kagome! No! I'd never do that! Never!!!_

"Never! Never! NEVER!" he yelled.

----

Shippou looked up to Sango from her lap, "Sango? Where is Inuyasha?" he asked with a pleading voice.

Her eyes brimmed with sadness, "I don't know, Shippou. I went out to look for him earlier, but he was no where to be found."

Kirara jumped up into Sango's lap and began being petted by both Shippou and Sango.

Miroku opened the hut door and looked up to the sad and worried Sango and Shippou, "Did you find Inuyasha?" asked the kitsune, smiling just a bit with hope for good news.

He shook his head sadly, "I looked _everywhere_ I could think of where he'd be. Even near the well, but no sign of him." Shippou's smile quickly faded.

Then Sango's eyes went wide. "Do you think he went to the well to see Kagome?"

"He might have, though I don't see why."

"Maybe Inuyasha's not in love with Kikyou!" piped the kitsune.

Both humans looked at him, "You mean…?"

"Inuyasha's in love with Kagome?!" asked the monk, sitting down with wide eyes.

"He might be… when I went to find him the day he went missing the first time, I found him by the river, just sitting there. He looked really weird…" quietly said the little red-head.

"Come to think of it," started the monk, "he did look forlorn when he came back."

"Isn't it obvious though?"

Miroku and Shippou turned to Sango, whom had spoken, "It's so very obvious, Inuyasha's in love with Kagome. But he's so stubborn he thinks he's in love with Kikyou." She finished saying.

Miroku looked shocked, "Sango… I had no idea you were so good at match making…"

She smiled and leaned against the wall and patted Shippou's head, "Match making, no, relationships, yes."

"Of course, there is one relationship that has not taken toll…" he said with a perverted smirk fall across his face.

"Oi, shut up monk…"

----

A poppy song danced through the speakers around the gym. People started to swivel their hips and dance, suddenly the lights went darker, and neon lights from disco balls and lanterns swirled around. Houjou snuck up upon Kagome and tapped her shoulder and she gasped and twirled around, scared.

"Oh Kagome!" her hair fwipped his face, and he pressed his hand to his cheek, "I didn't mean to startle you!"

"Oh, I'm sorry Houjou!"

"Um, anyway, wanna dance?"

She smiled and nodded, _I really, really don't want to… but, go ahead, make his day! C'mon Kagome you can do it!_ She walked out to the dance floor and tapped her feet to the beat and started to dance with Houjou and the rest of the freshman pack.

The beat and lyrics pumped the floor and you could heard it for all almost 5 miles, or so the teachers thought.

_The room is empty__  
The lights are dim__  
And my heart wonders__  
If I'll ever see you again__  
My tears are hungry__  
For an open door__  
When your arms held me__  
I never felt that way before_

The chorus began and everyone knew the lyrics. It was beginning to be a wonderful night, or that's what she thought it would be…

_I'll be waiting__  
I'll be watching__  
Under a blue moon__  
The taste of heaven__  
Only happens__  
Once in a blue moon__  
Once in a blue moon_

Kagome loved this song, it reminded her of Inuyasha.

Bold.  
Daring.  
Strong.

_He's not afraid of his actions, is that a good thing or a bad thing_? she thought. Every time she heard 'blue moon', she heard 'new moon'.

Inuyasha stopped debating to himself when he saw Kagome smiling during this song, _she must like it. She's dancing to it, and she's singing it I think…_ he thought, _Heh, wouldn't blame her, it is pretty good…_

_Do you remember  
When the wind blew free  
And we fit together  
So naturally?  
I'll be waiting  
I'll be watching  
Under a blue moon  
The taste of heaven  
Only happens  
Once in a blue moon  
If the wind closes a door  
It will open another  
I'll be waiting _

_I'll be watching__  
Under a blue moon__  
The taste of heaven__  
Only happens__  
Once in a blue moon_

Inuyasha stared at her graceful movements and wished he could be the one down there; dancing with her instead of that jerk, uh, Hoho or something. His foot tapped to the beat and his fingers twivled to the up and down beat. The song beat got faster, and everyone started to sing to song, Kagome's voice was lovelier than the rest, well that's what Inuyasha thought, but he wasn't the only one who thought that…

_Could I have this dance?__  
For the rest of my life?__  
Would you be my partner?__  
Every night?__  
When we're together__  
It feels so right__  
Could I have this dance?__  
For the rest of my life?__  
I'll be waiting__  
I'll be watching__  
Under a blue moon__  
The taste of heaven__  
Only happens__  
Once in a blue moon_

The song ended and everyone clapped to the DJ, who was taking a graceful bow to everyone. He pronounced a break and everyone began to mingle instead of dancing. Some went to punch table, others went to DJ to request songs and the rest started to talk to each other. Kagome took this opportunity to walk toward the exit and sit upon the bleachers, to rest a little before Houjou came to find her and ask her to dance, again. She fanned herself with her hand to break off her new sweat.

When she sat down, she looked up to the sunroof and saw a dark figure looking back down. She gasped and squinted her eyes to see better and saw a few _long_ locks of hair shimmer in the moonlight. Wait, shimmer?! A silver like shimmer!?! She gasped, _that means?!_ The figure suddenly moved away from the opening and crawled away a few feet so she couldn't see.

She got up and walked out the door, _now now, Kagome, calm down, you didn't see Inuyasha… he's back in the feudal era…_

"He's back there, with Kikyou, Sango, Miroku, Shippou and Kirara. There's no way he would come here, he has no reason to come here, let alone know I'm here at my school and the dance." She mumbled.

Her eyes filled with tears, _why am I crying?!_ She wiped them away, but they kept coming. _Why am I crying? What's wrong with me? Why am I crying?_ She wiped away a tear and looked at clear water mixed with black stains of her mascara in the moonlight, "…Why am I crying…?"

She sniffled, "Why am," she hiccuped, "... I crying?"

She put her hands to her face and ran away from the school grounds, back to her home. Her words were muffled and breaking themselves into sobs, "Why… am… I… crying?" Her footsteps became lighter and sounding more far away. Soon, she was gone from the sight of the open gym doors.

He heard every word. He heard every sound. He smelt every new tear that escaped her eyes. He felt like breaking into tears himself. He caused her so much pain, and yet he couldn't repay her or came her feel better. _What have I done? Kagome… what have I done?_ He leaned his head down into his knees and let a lone tear escape his eye. He didn't bother to wipe it away, nor did he bother to wipe away the rest that came.

--------------

That'sChapter nine! Woohoo! I'm evilbecause I made Inuyasha and Kagome cry. Wow. Hopefully another chapter will reappearafter Christmas.**  
Thank You:**  
_Shadow4d4 _aww arigato for your idea wink  
_Kagome21 _sorry, not a Sess/Kag, I'm a fan but Inu/Kag's all I write  
_Misforgiven-Angel _will update in the next month hopefully!  
_AnimeLova34_ thank you!  
MerseveSarah) you didn't like the kissing scene? Darn! Guess I'll have to try harder! Well, Kouga will reappear once more might cause more harm then good… or maybe not.  
_Rainbowcandie _I hope I helped you, and thanks sooo much!**  
Dictionary:**  
Sensei-teacher  
I hope everyone has a happy holiday! Ja ne, Kum-chan


	10. Loves Bites Dude

Love and Ice  
Chapter 10  
Loves Bites!

GASP! I've updated again! It's been like a week since the last one dude! Well, turns out I'm not going to North Carolina! THANK YOU GLORIOUS GOD! Um, and my really bad cold.

----

It was around 10am or so when Kagome woke up. She shifted over to her stomach and looked out her window. Beams of bright yellow light peered through her open window. When she had run away from the school, she didn't want her family see her cry... she opened her window with a branch and just crawled in her bed. She didn't care if she fell asleep in her dress, in her make-up or in her shoes. She just conked out and let the cool breeze sooth her hurting heart and mind.

When she finally got the strength to sit up, she realized what time it was. She looked out her window and saw her mom sweeping the outside steps. She leaned out and called out to her, "Mama!"

The elder female Higurshi looked out, "Oh, Kagome!" she smiled sweetly and waved, "Good morning!"

"Mama!" she said in panicky attire, "it's 10! Why didn't you wake me up?!"

"Well, when I didn't hear you come home, I looked out and saw you weren't on the steps or anything. Then I heard a noise and went up to your bedroom, and saw you on your bed already asleep... I decided not to wake you, plus you were exhausted, it was nearly midnight when you came back."

She gasped, _I stayed that long?_ She put her hand to her still smudged make-up, and saw mascara stains upon her pillow and cheek, _I guess the dance was good for me, well, for one thing._ "I made some breakfast downstairs!" called her mother, "I'll be at the store with Jii-chan! Take good care of the shrine!" With that, she put down her broom and walked up to the stairs to where grandpa was sitting, "Let's go hon."

----

Kagome sat in her kitchen, eating some fruit they bought at the market that no one else liked in her family. She munched on it and walked out to the very bright morning. It was already heating up, around 80 degrees or so. She decided that she shouldn't even go to school, so she wore only a simple white tee and light blue skirt.

She sighed, _I've been away for two days, why do I feel so sad? Is because of Inuyasha? Is it because of my home beyond the well?_ She sat on a stone pillar and stared at her feet, _no. It's not that, I know its not. Its because I love him…_

Her lips formed a smile, wait why was she smiling?! _Its because I love him…_

"I love Inuyasha…"

She said aloud, not caring if anyone hard, but if she did, she'd be mortified.

But he heard it. Just like the night before, he heard it all. And now he had heard her say the words he so constantly wondered were true… and he was happy. His heart leapt and he just wanted to embrace her forever. _Kagome loves me!_

_Kagome actually loves me!_

Of course she does you idiot, she has ever since she set her pretty brown eyes on you!

But he wasn't listening to the little voice in his head; he was too overjoyed with the young girl sitting below him.

She walked back into her home. She wanted to go back to the feudal era, not to collect shards, not to see the taiyoukai who had a sudden interest in her, to see the wonderful hanyou she loved. And the hanyou was in the same mood to see her.

----

She walked out onto the soft, green grass beneath her feet. _Its so good to be back, so good to see the sakura fields and cherry blossom trees…_

"Neechan!"

Kagome turned to see little Rin running out of the bushes with her arms open ready for a hug. "Neechan! You're back!"

She hugged the little girl, "Yep!" was all she said. Rin took her hand and led her into the forest where she memorized where Sesshoumaru had camped. She told Kagome everything that happened while she was gone, which bored her a little, but she was happy to see Rin talking more.

Sesshouamaru smelt Kagome and Rin's scent walking toward him. He was still a shocked too hear she left, but what surprised him more was what Rin told him while she was gone.

----Flashback----

"Sesshoumaru-sama?"

"Yes, Rin?"

"Where is Kagome-neechan?"

"She has gone back to her family for a bit, Rin. She will return shortly."

"Oh,"

There was a silence between the three for a while, it was late and the sky was dark with stars all around.

"Uhm… Sesshoumaru-sama?" she sounded embarrassed and a little imtimitated.

He looked at her, "Yes, Rin?"

"Umm… Rin saw something that happened to Kagome-oneechan…"

His eyes squinted, "What did you see Rin?"

"Uhm…"

"...Rin?"

"You stupid girl! Answer Sesshoumaru-sama!!" that was Jaken, who got a pound on the head from Sesshoumaru.

"Go on Rin,"

"Well, remember a while back, when Kagome-oneechan went to stream to get some water to cook us a meal…?"

"Yes,"

"Well, after she left, Rin went to go find her and Rin saw something happen…"

"What was it?" he was started to get a little impatient, but seeing as Rin was just a little girl, he had to give her a little credit.

"Kagome-oneechan was getting water… When big wind came and out came a man, a man Sesshoumaru-sama! He had long black hair and brown tail! He called Kagome-oneechan by her first name and, how would she say… flirted with her?"

He nodded, _this seems a little odd, but I don't think Kagome got hurt, or was near un-wanted mating so, why is this so hard?_

"Well, Kagome didn't want him around, she even looked scared Sesshoumaru-sama!" that made his eyes bulge out, "But, a man with white hair and gold eyes came out of the forest…"

Now that just riled him, _Inuyasha!_ Rin continued her story, just getting up to the part where Kagome sped into Inuyasha's arms.

"She cried Sesshoumaru-sama! Rin could tell! But man made her feel better! And then…" she stopped and looked at her feet.

"Then, what Rin?"

"Then…" she looked up to him and smiled the brightest smile she had, "Then he kissed her Sesshoumaru-sama! The man kissed her! On the mouth! It was so sweet!"

Sesshouamru didn't hear the rest of her story, even until the end, he only thought of what happened between Kagome and Inuyasha. _They kissed! No, Inuyasha kissed _her_! She would know better than to kiss a taken man, especially if the mate is still alive! That… that… that BASTARD!_

----End----

Kagome and Rin's steps got closer to the group. Jaken heard their footsteps and bombarred up to them, "Human! You have returned!"

"Hai!" she smiled sweetly, not caring if the toad still didn't like her, she looked at Sesshoumaru, "Hello, Sesshoumaru-sama! Did Rin bare well?"

He gave her the same, emotionless face, "Yes. All was well."

Jaken interuptted them, "We have kept your strange way of transportation is tact! It is over there!" he said, pointing over to a nearby tree, where her bike was leaning against it.

"Arigato, Jaken! Thank you!" she walked toward her bike and picked it up, "Hai! I am ready! Let's go on!"

Sesshoumaru stood up and started to walk eastward, away from his home. He decided to make one more trip around his lands, then he would decide if he should to his home or just stall. But he couldn't stall, why would he? The Sacred Jewel had shards probably all over Japan, and he couldn't just stall and wait 'til he came across ever single one. Finding the shards was _her_ job, not HIS. So, why was it his problem?

Cause you got involved, you moron.

_Wait just a darn minute! How did I get involved anyway?_

Well, 1. You asked her to come with you, 2. You…

_No I didn't! I took her in!_

No! No! No!

_Yes I did!_

No!

_Yes!_

No!

_Yes!_

No!

_Yes!_

Do you like her?

_Yes!_

He stopped, _did I just…?_

Hah! You said it! You can't deny it! There's no escape! Admit it! Admit it!

_I admit it?_

He looked at her.

_I can't deny it?_

_I like her?_

You _idiot! _There's more!

----

He watched her come through the well again. _Good, she's coming back… it'll be easier to talk to her._ He realized a human child was coming toward Kagome, and heard faint yells for her. "Oh, Kagome! Kagome! Okaasan!"

_Mother? Some kid is calling_ my _Kagome mother?_ He stopped, _ah! Why do I keep saying my Kagome?! She's not mine! Kikyou is mine! …Although, I wouldn't object to have Kagome to myself…_

He saw a young girl with chocolate eyes run out from the forest, some of her hair was pulled into a ponytail. He saw her come and hug Kagome and pull her toward, what he thought, was probably Sesshoumaru's camp. _That bastard better not try to do anything she doesn't want!_ He clenched his claws, _if he does… I'll kill him. For sure…_

He jumped toward them. He kept his footsteps light and kept his scent shallow, not wanting to let his half-brother find him so soon. He had to watch her for just a little longer, than he would leave.

His brother's image soon came into view, and he saw his stupid brother's squire run up to her and tell her something he didn't bother to decipher. She mumbled something and asked his brother something, but he gave her the same, emotionless face. He was glad that his brother was paying her no mind more than just a girl on a journey, who couldn't go back to people she needed more than anything to finish it. That nagged on him through every fiber of his being. He wanted to see her, to talk to her, to be near her, to kiss her…

He couldn't help but know that every piece of him wanted to kiss her. He knew it deep in his heart that he wanted to hug her, and deep down in the bottom pit of his soul, there was a new thought waiting to thought of…

…he wanted to love her…

---------------

Whoa, got a ton of emails from people who didn't write as anonymous. Dude, you don't have to use your real email, you can do anonymous, I don't mind. The reviews I get are good enough, knowing _someone_ out their likes my story.**  
Thank you:**  
AlixMM  
Sango Shadow  
Lonely Lullaby  
Crayons123- dude I love your name.  
Kunshun Hedoshi- emails, emails. Shun-chan come back to school! You're so sick! Come back in January, we miss you! (We go to the same school and are best friends for you people who can't tell)**  
Dictionary:**  
Taiyoukai- demon lord  
Arigatou- thank you  
----Merry Christmas to all! And to all a good-um,- beef jerky! Yea, that'll do!


	11. Though the Agonizing Pain

Love and Ice  
Chapter 11  
Through The Agonizing Pain

…I have a reason to be late. My friend, Kunshun-chan, whom could remember I told to come back to school over winter Break: was in the hospital. She had a horrible cough as Winter started last season, and it turns out she's having problems with her kidneys. January 6th they took a biopsy. She's was in my prayers, so this chapter I put sad tales of Sesshoumaru-sama's mother. She's at school now, so thank whatever-glorious-being there is in the sky.

-

Sesshoumaru was up in fury. He wanted to kill his younger half-brother, and the dead thing he took as his mate was already next in line to kill. _Damn Inuyasha!_

_That wretched hanyou is ready to set for killing! He has disowned the name of a mate! Not to mention hurt Kagome's harbored feelings for him…_ he looked behind him to the asleep Kagome and Rin in her arms, they were leaning against a tree. Forgotten to lay out one of those 'sleeping bag-y' thingies from her time.

_But… she does not seem to be affected by the fact that she has disowned the name… maybe what Rin said wasn't true…_ he shook his head, _no... Rin would not lie…_

"_Mama!" cried a little boy._

_He ran into the room of his parents and saw her on the bed, with servants around her, placing cool towels on her arms and forehead. She was incredibly sick. She caught a strange illness that no one knew how to revive. She was paler, and her breathing was ragged. Her beautiful hair had become grayer, and her good-cared body was pinched and looking fairly older, but not a normal type of aging._

_She painly turned her head and smiled at her son. But it was so odd to see her smile at him. His expression was full of fright and concern, and at a young child's age as his, this was not the time to lose a loved one._

_She made a noise that said to come in and sit by her, which he did so very quickly. She motioned for the servants to leave and close the dojo doors. They looked awfully hesitant, but obliged and left the two inu youkai alone. He sat by her bed and tears filled his young eyes._

"_Mama? Are you?"_

_She cut him off, "I am fine, Sesshoumaru." She moved her hand from her side and brushed it over his arm, he took her hand into his and looked at her, his tears fell freely now, but he didn't care._

"_Mother? Are you in pain, haha-ue?" he caressed her hand against his cheek._

_Her eyes softened, "Dear, young Sesshoumaru. I am fine, I will be in peace soon…"_

"_No!" he cried helplessly. "No! Dear mother, please say no!"_

_Her eyes filled with tears of happiness, "My dear son… I must leave this world…"_

"_No!" he hugged her limp body and buried his head into her chest. "Please! Dear Kami! No, mother! You mustn't leave me alone!"_

_She moved her hands to her son's face and brought it up to see her own. "My dear son…"_

"_I will never leave you…_

"_I will always be in your heart…_

"_You will never have to worry about losing me…"_

_His tears fell upon her silken garments. "Mother…" She looked deep within his eyes, her voice softened with the illness, but she spoke, completely not thinking that she was standing at death's door, waiting to be 'knocked'._

"_I… love you, Sesshoumaru," she whispered, silent tears spilling down her pale cheeks. With her last take of breath, her head fell against the soft, feathered pillow. Her eyes closed and a smile of great peace bestowed her. She had finally been put to rest with her past torment._

_His heart was breaking, no… no… he placed his hand against her cheek, trying to find the warmth that so normally was found there, but instead was found by shallowly, no-pulse feel. He sobbed, "Haha-ue…"_

_More tears spilt down his puffy cheeks, the whites around his big gold eyes turning red with water. His head buried once more into her chest, hiccuping and sobbing_

_Father!_

_He growled; Inutaishou could have saved her! He could have saved her! Hi small hand curled into a fist, shredding a lavender sheet._

_I will never forgive you!_

He scowled at himself, _why am I having these memories? I thought I was past all this…_ he looked at Kagome, once again taking in her beauty, drool formed within his mouth.

_Why do I feel this way…? Why? Why does it have to me?_

Kagome stirred, she shifted the asleep Rin and loosened her grip, meaning the Rin was now resting her head on Kagome's stomach. She suckled on her thumb and tugged on Kagome's shirt in her sleep with her free hand. Her shirt pulled down a bit, she wasn't wearing her school uniform, she was wearing her dark blue sweater. It showed off a bit more of her cleavage, which got his heart pumping, but that wasn't about to make him over throw his sanity and lose control. He growled at himself and got up and walked to spot on the clearing, and got a pretty good look at the valley below them.

_Damn that girl… she is making me feel this way, this damn emotion…._ But he sighed, he had come to terms with his real feelings for her, and he couldn't escape it. _What has made me so vulnerable?_

You dimwit! You're not vulnerable!

_I'm not?_

You idiot! You're in love!

_I'm in love…?_

He looked to the valley and saw girls from a village gathering flowers and greens of all kinds. They laughed and giggled, and he saw boys from the same village come out and scare the living daylights out of the girls. They danced and frolicked in the field, unaware of the love-smitten lord above them.

_Am I in love?_

Of course you are! BAKA NA!

He sighed. There was no escaping this feeling. No escape from the girl more than fifty feet away from him. No escape from his heart.

But why did it have to be his heart? Why not that stupid, idiotic, son-of-a, he stopped. Why did it have to his….?

He cleared his thoughts and sniffed the air. He could sense that she was up and about, moving around. Rin was too. Jaken was still asleep on Ah and Un. He looked up to the clouds. Even though he was demon and he barely tired, he decided they would fly for a while. Then they would go back to his home. It was only a few days away. He turned and walked back to his company.

-

"Kanna."

A young girl with white hair and an emotionless face came into his view. Her mirror had rejuvenated once more, but she was no longer able to capture souls. She looked up to the evil hanyou but her expression remained the same.

"Show me where the girl is."

Her head sunk lowly, half-nodding. Her mirror glowed a bright blue, almost white and a picture came into view. It showed a young girl, around sixteen years of age and younger girl, around seven years riding a pack animal with two large dragonheads. The scene changed direction and it showed a tall, white-haired demon and a small toad demon flying toward a giant mansion in the west.

"So…" said the half-breed. "They are headed toward his home."

He keh-ed like Inuyasha would. "No good. I will have to wait another time."

He sighed. "Oh, well. Let's make some mischief for Inuyasha and his followers, shall we? Kagura."

A young woman, with a multi-colored kimono walked into his view. "Go to his group, Kagura. Make them miserable. Steal their shards, but come back here afterwards. We have more plans on the horizon."

"Yes, _Master_ Naraku." She turned and walked out his huge mansion. She pulled out a feather from her hair and flew toward a northern land, where a hanyou, a monk, a demon-exterminator, a small cat youkai and a dead corpse made up clay were walking unexpectedly.

"Soon, the pieces will fall. And I will rule. Inuyasha and his wench will no longer be a nuisance." He grinned in glee.

-

They walked tiredly toward who knows what. They had been walking for days and found no shards. Ever since Kagome had left they found no shards. They were even lucky to find a demon. Even with Kikyou along, she was of no help. She didn't sense any, and it they lowered their expectations of finding anymore, _ever_.

Soon they heard a sound of flowing water. Kikyou whined (if you could call talking in a mono-toned voice over and over again 'whining') that it was a hot spring, and that they should stop to drink and have a bath. When she mentioned bath Inuyasha remembered the he saw Kagome and that young girl named Rin taking a bath in a hot spring. His heart felt lighter knowing she was still here, and still alive.

"I'll go to the spring and bathe Kuroinuko, Inuyasha. I will call you when needed." She said, standing up to walk to the spring. He replied and 'uh-huh' and watched Shippou play with Kirara at Sango's feet.

When Kikyou was out of range, Shippou sat down and looked at Inuyasha. "Inuyasha?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you smell Kagome?" his impossibly big green eyes were looking up at him in hope.

He twitched. _Why would he want to know where Kagome is now?_ "I can't really tell, why?"

The kitsune looked down at his feet. Apparently he didn't want to say what was about to come out of his mouth. His lower lip trembled, and the poor fox brought up a hand to rub at his now watery eyes. Miroku finally cut the silence, and he was a (more) than a little bit frustrated.

"Alright, Inuyasha."

"Huh?" he looked at him.

"This has gone long enough."

"What?" he didn't get what they were saying. The dark tajiya standing beside him took over Miroku's speech.

"It's been more than a month since we've seen Kagome. We don't know if she's here or even alive Inuyasha. We need her."

"For what?"

Shippou's eyebrows scrunched together. "Because we'll fall apart without her!" His little hands fisted as a few more tears leaked down his eyes.

"And she's the only one who can actually find the sacred jewel shards." Added the monk.

"Ever since she left we've found none. None Inuyasha! Naraku could of finished the jewel by now! We need Kagome!" Sango said, nearly screaming. Her temper rose than it usually did. (Meaning she never had a temper)

"Kikyou has been no help since we started Inuyasha!"

"We need Kagome!"

"Go get her!"

"Follow her scent or something!"

"Or wait near the well 'til she needs to go back to her own time!"

"JUST GO GET HER!"

He sighed in anger. "What do you want me to do! Even if I could find her, what am I supposed to do! Go, 'Kagome, come back. We need you'! Yeah right! She wouldn't come back if I begged her to!"

Sango's face got red. "Inuyasha!" she nearly yelled.

"NANI O? You act like this is my fault!"

"Inuyasha! Why do think that Kagome left in the first place!"

"Uhh…" He blushed.

"See!" said Sango, pointing a finger in his face.

"See what?"

"You knew!" she said.

"I knew WHAT!" he yelled.

"You knew it was your fault!" Sango's voice kept talking, "You know that she left 'cause you and Kikyo had that had damn baby!"

He was stunned. _Sango's is calling Inuyasha's girl a…_Thought Miroku.

_Oh no!_ thought Shippou, _Sango's in trouble!_ Shippou bounced up from beneath her feet. He launched himself upon her chest, and braced his hands on her yukuta. "Inuyasha! Don't hurt Sango!" he pleaded.

He just sat there, speechless, mouth agape.

It was a full five minutes until Sango finally said his name to snap him out of his trance. He shook his head, thinking like a dog would when there was water all over him. "Huh?" was all he said.

"Are you alright?"

"Feh!" he turned away and watched the trees.

Shippou sighed. Miroku looked at the woman he so very often violated and knew his eyes were wide. Her face was still a bit flustered, but she was calming down. She looked at him with an innocent expression until she changed her appearance, "WHAT!" she barked.

A sudden swirl of white flashes knocked them over, catching them off guard. Sango immediately scooped up Shippou and hugged him to her chest. Inyasha sat up and took grip on the Tessaiga. "Kagura!" he barked.

A half-laugh, half-evil giggle came from the trees. She walked out of the trees as calm as ever. Her blood red eyes were scrunched together in hate. "So you finally caught my scent, Inuyasha?" she said ever so smoothly.

"Feh! What do you want!"

She laughed. "Why do you think?"

Miroku stepped by Inuyasha. "Inuyasha! She's here for the shards…" he whispered.

"I know that!" he whispered back harshly. "But we don't have any! Kagome took the jewel with her!"

"Another reason why this is your fault!" said Sango harshly.

His anger rose, but he was focused on the evil demoness before them. Kagura made an 'hmm' noise and searched them with her eyes. "So… you have no shards…" she said sounding bored.

"Geh!" Inuyasha and Miroku said, sounding surprised. She sounded as if she knew where they were.

"Pity…" she spoke, brimming her eyes closed together. "Naraku will not be happy. Although I'm supposing that that young girl with the strange short green kimono has them…"

Inuyasha growled. _She's saying that Naraku will now go after Kagome!_ He thought angrily. He unsheathed his Tessaiga, ready to do battle with the wind sorceress. "Keh, Naraku is too slow for Kagome! Now what do you really want!"

"Well… there is no reason for me to fight… but since you asked," she trailed off, leaving a smirk upon her face.

_I'd rather not._

_But I supposed he asked anyway._

_And the saimyoshou,_ she idly turned her red eyes to behind the bands of trees, _are watching._

_Naraku's watching along._

Inuyasha sneered like a man would, er, half-man would. Kagura raised her fan and opened, all four of them felt a shiver prine up their skin at the light-brown fan. "Dance of Blades!" she yelled swishing her fan at them.

Inuyasha took this opportunity to step forward and find the right point to see his chance to unleash the Kaze no Kizu. He charged at the swirling white glows and lifted the fang above his head, "Kaze no Kizu!" he yelled, throwing her attack back at her.

She jumped up literally a second before it hit her. As she landed on the ground again, now farther away from him, she saw the marks of the Kaze no Kizu upon the ground. She still did not understand how he did these sort of things,

_How is he able to face my attack against me!_

_I still do not understand!_

He laughed. "Surprised?" his Tessaiga still glowed.

Her face went back to its original position, "Hardly…" she replied, sounding not so convincing.

He snickered. "Didn't sound like it."

Suddenly, Sango's voice rose above them. "Hiraaaaaikotsu!" she yelled, throwing her giant boomerang at Kagura.

Kagura, caught off guard, was rammed in the side by the giant blade of bone. "Ahh!" it cut a large wound in the garbs and made a large amount of blood appear on her multi-colored kimono. She fell to the ground, but she quickly got back up.

Sango and Inuyasha stood by each other, smiling, no, smirking at the pitiful demoness. But Kagura was not pleased; she pulled her feather out and looked back at the exterminator, half-breed, monk and kitsune. "I will return! Naraku will have your souls!" with that, she disappeared in the clouds.

_Damn you Naraku!_

-

Sesshoumaru and his 'company' rode the skies. Kagome and Rin were settled on Ah and Un, while Jaken was grumbling to him self. _So, I'm back. But I wanted to see Inuyasha, not go with Sesshoumaru again and start riding the skies, though I'd much rather be riding Kirara instead of this pack animal…_

Sesshoumaru was content on making sure Kagome was not hurt by his idiot half-brother. _Though she does not seem to be bothered, I will make sure that that idiot half-breed will p_ay… he thought.

It wasn't but a few days later they were beginning to enter the nearer area of his lands. His mansion was invisible to the naked eye if the person, or youkai, was not welcome into the land by the lord of it himself. So Kagome had a little trouble seeing as how they were headed into the opposite direction of most shards, and the opposite direction of her beloved hanyou. It wasn't until they were within 100 yards that she was able to see it.

"Do you see it!" piped Rin.

"See what?" replied Kagome.

"Lord Sesshoumaru's home!"

"Home?" she looked out into the barren sky, seeing nothing but clouds, hills and the blue sky. Then suddenly a huge mansion appeared from the emptiness. "Whoa!" she exclaimed.

"Do you like my home, Kagome?" asked the lord, with a smirk.

"Uhh…" was her reply.

She had never seen such a place! It was huge, giant even. Fine wood and stone set rails and stairs leading toward the many a room. A small brook on the far side of the castle, a garden and maze-like of area of flowers and benches.

When they finally landed, Rin was all up beat. She wanted to show Kagome every single thing that was exciting to her, the garden, the library, the dining hall, everything. But not Sesshoumaru's quarters, or the head lord and lady's rooms, those belonged to Inutaishou and Sesshoumaru's mother _and_ Inuyasha's mother. Well they _did_ belong to them, they used to.

They had just gotten settled on the ground, when an older woman, possibly in her thirties came out of the giant doors. Her hair was a blonde color, with faint pink and green stripes. Her eyes were green, with slits in them. She had pointy ears and her face was flawless, no scratches or burn marks from fires in the stove.

"Konnichiwa, Sesshoumaru-sama." She said bowing.

"Hello, Chouwa Did everything bare well while during my departure?" he stood on the ground, not moving an inch.

"Hai, no intruders, nor beggars." She laughed a little, which earned a faint smile on his face.

"Chouwa-san!" piped the seven-year old girl, she ran to the olden woman with wide arms.

"Hello, Rin-chan." She hugged her like she would a daughter.

Chouwa looked up to Kagome, deep within her eyes. She shivered at this; _it's like she's staring at my soul or something_… she thought. Chouwa seemed to approve; she smiled at stepped out of her hug and held her hand out to Kagome. "Hello, my name is Hekuari Chouwa, servant to the Inutaishou clan."

Kagome smiled weakly before showing her million dollar gleam, "Hello to you too! My name is Higurashi Kagome, uhm, present keeper of the Sacred Jewel…" she said with a little unease.

"Iya! You are _the_ Kagome?"

"Uhm, hai…"

"You are know throughout the lands, child." Chouwa seemed to gleam at the young girl, "Welcome to Lord Sesshoumaru's home!"

Kagome blushed and walked behind the skipping Rin into the palace doors.

The room was _huge_! It was at least nine feet tall in the matter, and that was just underneath the second-floor hallway, so it was much higher than you would first see it. Kagome and Rin took off their shoes and watched as the grumpy Jaken waddled off into the hallway by their left. Chouwa brought Kagome out of her adventurous thoughts about the mansion,

"So, are you, child, going to stay with Lord Sesshoumaru?"

"Uhm…" Kagome idly scratched her cheek with her finger.

"Yes, she is."

Kagome looked behind her to see Sesshoumaru taking off his armor and swords, he laid them in a hidden closet near the door. "She is trying to find the Sacred Jewel shards, but since this era is so very dangerous, it's not safe for her. She will travel with me while make my trails around the land and on my quest for the Tessaiga."

"Hai, milord…"

"Bring the girl to the guest quarters, we will start from there." With that, he walked off into the hallway where Jaken had gone.

With him disappearing from her view, Chouwa seemed to gain at least ten years of her life. She smiled ever so brightly at Kagome and took her hands in her own. "Why, Kagome-chan! I do believe you will like it here!" she giggled at herself.

"I guess I will," she smiled.

Chouwa pulled her down the right hallway and past many rooms. When she finally stopped she said she must leave for a bit. "I need to take care of some things in the dining hall. This is your room here," she waved her hand in front of a closed door before them, "I will send more servants to gather your things form the pack animal. I will call you when its time for dinner."

"Arigatou."

She just smiled sweetly at the older woman as she bowed and left her. She opened her doors and saw the unexpected. A huge room, with light blue/violet bed sheets of satin and wide windows, curtains pulled open to warm the room with the sun's rays, it seemed like it was made just for a girl of her personality.

She sighed and strolled to the giant window. She looked out to the blue sky and the greenery that was the meadows and hills before her. She turned to the bed behind her and plopped down upon the silken-like spreads. In a matter of seconds, her breathing became slower and easier…

_She awaited her arrival. She had been waiting ever since her reincarnate-ancestor bore the quarter demon child. The child she knew would bring more pain to her than her ancestor ever did. Deep within her soul… he awaited._

_Her image slowly began to appear before her. A blurry image, fuzzy like a broken TV. She smiled and stepped forward a few steps. When she finally all appeared she fell to her knees, her breathing rather choked._

"_You have finally came…" she said in the most pleasant voice._

_Kagome looked at the woman above her, in a surprised fate. "Who-who are you…?"_

_She smiled even brighter. "You know fully well who I am."_

_She removed the hand that had been resting on her chest, covering her left rib, where her heart was resting. A hole the size of a golf ball appeared, right through her chest._

"_Mi-Mi-Midoriko-sama!"_

"_Yes, child."_

_Kagome quickly got to her feet. "How-you-but-I-ano- how are you here?" she stuttered._

"_This is the Dream Realm. All powerful demons and powerful miko's have one. A place where you can go to, to be alone. To get away from stress, pain and sorrow."_

_I could used one of these a long time ago… thought Kagome. Her thoughts were heard aloud, and she gasped from it._

"_There are no thoughts in the Dream Realm. Thoughts and words are no different, both are heard aloud."_

"_Oh…"_

_Suddenly, a blurry picture appeared beside them. It showed a mansion, a huge mansion. Wait! It was Sesshoumaru's mansion! And it was showing a moving picture, of a taiyoukai walking through the halls. He wore a white hakama and harori with red flowers, and had a long, white, fluffy tail. Kagome gasped, "Sesshoumaru!"_

_Midoriko giggled, "Yes. In the Dream Realm one can see what is happening in the outside world. Anywhere and everywhere."_

"_Does that mean…oh, wait…"_

"_What is it, Kagome-chan?"_

"_Well…" she started, "I wanted to know if I could see Inuyasha when I come to the Dream Realm, but I don't have one…" she was saddened because she was not powerful enough as she wanted to be._

_Midoriko laughed aloud, "Dear, dear me…"_

"_What?"_

_She laughed again, "Dearest, Kagome-chan… you have a Dream Realm…"_

"_I do? But, how come-"_

"_You are able to find your own unless it is summoned by the great Kamis, most powerful youkai's do not even know of the Dream Realm. Even though they are powerful, they do not have pure soul… so they do not have the privilege of having one…"_

"_Whoa!" was all she said._

"_So, how do I find my own?" she finally asked._

"_Well…" she started, "first you have to decide what yours will look like. Mine, of course, it simply a realm with a golden sky and shining white stars. I wanted mine to be a simple place for relaxation._

"_Yours, however, can be anything. It can be your true home, or your home beyond the well. Have anything, everything…"_

"_Can it have anyone?" she butted in._

_She smiled. "Who do you want it to be with?" though she knew who it was._

"…_My one and only, true love?"_

"_You want Inuyasha?"_

_She looked at her feet, she hoped the hanyou was strong enough and powerful enough, and was of pure soul and spirit so he could have one, and let the two of them share each other in lover's warm embrace, so to speak._

"_Well… that's up to you. You have to decide whether you want him or not, and if you do, you must find a way to make it all real. I can meet you again, but only when you feel content, nevermore than that…"_

_She was cut off when a bolding knocking sound came ringing through. Both girls looked at the image and saw Sesshoumaru knocking on her door to her room._

"_I must go, Kagome-chan…"_

"_Wait! When can this all happen again…?" she asked when the fuzziness of Midoriko began to appear._

"_Only when you are truly content…"_

Kagome awoke the sound of pounding around her. She realized she must of fallen asleep. All her memories of her talk with Midoriko came back to her, and she shuddered, _was it real? Was it a dream again, or was she really here? And was I really in a Dream Realm…?_

"Kagome,"

She looked to the door and saw the fainted shadow of Sesshoumaru's body outside the room. "Fallen ill have you?"

She got very quickly and braced the door open swiftly, and he was unprepared for the face of the young girl to come out.

"Sesshouamaru…uh, sama?" her voice sounded thick and hoarse.

The golden-eyes lord looked at her with a cold stare, what was with her? "Chouwa has been calling for you. It is time for dinner." He said with his voice calm and his face showing no expression.

"Oh… I'm sorry, Lord Sesshoumaru. I fell asleep."

_Yeah in a freaky-ass dream._

_Did I swear?_

She closed her door and walked behind him as they walked down the hall into the Living Wing.

-

Kagome sipped up the last of her miso soup. Rin quietly picked up their dishes for who knew why, and walked into the kitchen that was so wide you couldn't hear a thing outside. Jaken grumbled that he was still hungry but got a conk on the head for an impolite outburst from Sesshoumaru. They had finished their meal with chatter from Kagome to Rin and Chouwa ate with them too. For a servant, that was a privilege hardly anyone got to endure. But she seemed it was ritual and Sesshouamru didn't seem to mind. _She must be a very good servant, or maybe she's Sesshoumaru's mate… he certainly treats her like a well-respected family member…_

"I will be in the library, tending to the war on the northern-west hemisphere." He said, standing.

"Hai, we will not disturb… shall we, Kagome?" asked Chouwa.

"Oh, no. I will make sure Rin and I stay in our quarters."

He nodded and walked out the door, into the wing he walked through earlier. Just as he was out of range, Chouwa was ready to strike up a conversation with Kagome.

"So, Kagome, what really brings you to Lord Sesshoumaru?"

"What? What are you talking about? I have to try and find the Sacred shards, and it's not safe in these times of war. He can be my protector until I'm finished with the jewel."_ I'll tell her when I trust her more._

"And, what do you suppose to do with the jewel once it's finished?"

"Uhm… I don't really know…"

"You know that anyone who makes a wish on the completed Shikon, it will be granted, no matter what the wish, good or bad, right?"

"Of course I know… I've known that ever sense I began my search."

"Well, if you complete the jewel, what will you wish for?"

There was a silence between the two for quite a while. Kagome looked deep in thought while Chouwa watched her. Watching her nearly depressed form, Chouwa's short but fluffy tail twitched and she felt a great amount of pressure, heavy feelings, and depression fall upon the young miko. She was certain this was one thing that Kagome had never thought of, such an eerie silence in a spooky mansion. It made goose-bumps crawl up all over her body. "Kagome-chan?"

"Huh?"

"Are you alright?"

There was another silence between them again. This time Kagome and Chouwa just stared at each other for who knew how long. Kagome wanted to change the conversation very badly,

"Chouwa-san? I noticed that you pointy ears like Sesshoumaru… sama. You are a dog demon like him?"

She nodded. "Hai. I am Hekuari Chouwa. Daughter of Grefui. My father worked for Sesshoumaru-sama's family for a long time. I continued where he left off. I got my hair from my mother and my facial features from my father."

"They must be proud they have such a wonderful daughter." She smiled.

Chouwa half-smiled, and half-choked. "My mother was killed by a mad wolf demon, and my father passed away from old age some time ago."

"Oh, how sad…"

"It was my mother's time to leave anyway… she was very old, and the blood in her veins was weakening. No one wanted her to fall ill or die of a painful death, so it was good for her. Father's death was predictable thought"

"If your father's name is Grefui, why is yours Hekuari?"

"I was married to a human at the age of seventeen, in human years at least. But he was also killed in the battle of my mother. We never had any children, and I vowed to love no one else with the same type of love I had for him. So I have remained untouched for the past two hundred years."

_So she is 'untouched', she's not Sesshoumaru's mate. Oh well… count that off…_

"I see…" there was another silence between them, "I'm so sorry to bring up such sad memories, Chouwa-san."

"It's okay… it's so nice to talk to someone instead of the rest of the servants. But, Kagome?" Chouwa turned to her. "I have powers, as all youkai would…"

"Yes?"

"I can see into people's souls…"

_Souls!_ Her warm hazel eyes got bigger.

"Your soul and spirit is torn with love, confusion and depression. When I asked you about the Shikon no Tama, I felt heavy burdens of sadness fall upon you, tell me, Kagome…

"Are you in love?"

She blinked. _This dog demon is FREAKING ME OUT MAN! She can read souls! AHHH! THIS IS TOO WEIRD!_

She kept quiet, but she turned away, walking toward the door and the hallway leading to her room.

"I am sorry Chouwa-san. But I am tired, and I really need to catch up on some of my duties from my home. Excuse me, I'll see you in the morning…" with that, she walked away, leaving a silent and slightly surprised Chouwa by herself in the dining hall.

-

For those of you who read the earlier Author's Note, you know why I put the death of Sesshoumaru-sama's mother in here. 'Through the Agonizing Pain' seemed like an appropriate title. If I feel like it, I'll post another chapter within the next month. Thank whatever glorious power that the hospital let her out!  
**Dictionary:  
**Ano- pause word, usually 'um'  
Chouwa- this is the name I gave to Sesshoumaru-sama's most faithful servant. It means 'harmony.'  
Hekuari- a flower  
Iya- no when Chouwa-sama said 'No!' she meant 'No way!' like she was surprised


	12. Blast From the Past

Love and Ice  
Chapter 13  
Blast from The Past

Did you know that more than seventy-five percent of people in the world are more scared of public speaking than death? It's true.

Now you know!

And now for a note about the so-called 'hiatus'. God I hate that word. Thank you all for your patience and reviews. And I also thank my one-second of _actual_ intelligence for copying my chapters to disk… now if the Document Manager would let my chapter be uploaded- then you'd get more chapters, faster.

And uh, about my note that said I'm gonna kill my Dad's friend? Yeah I'm still gonna do that. Why the Elm. School? Cause the little kids will scream in fright, hee hee hee…(evil look)

-

Kagome awoke with the sound of birds chirping. She sat up from her bed and realized that it wasn't her bed. No, it was her new bed. The guest bed, the one she would use while she was with Sesshoumaru. Seeing the bright blue or lighter violet covers instead of the pink ones she usually slept on, she tossed them to the side of her and threw her legs over the side.

Bracing herself for the intense sunlight she knew would be there, she walked over to the window and looked at the brightly blue sky with still slight yellow and orange streaks of morning light. "Its too bad this won't be my room for long… it's so calm and peaceful, not like my room back in Tokyo." She said to know one in particular.

A knock on her door made her snap out of her trance. "Kagome? It's Chouwa. May I enter?"

Kagome straitened her pajama gown, "Oh, yes Chouwa-san."

Her door opened, revealing a sunnily dressed dog demon. She was wearing a yellow kimono with long sleeves and a bright orange obi, with faint orange sakura blossoms over the folds.

"Good morning, Kagome-chan."

"Good, morning Chouwa-san."

"Lord Sesshoumaru had to traveled to the northern side, so he will be gone for the morning. He told me to apologize that you couldn't come with him to find the Shikon no Tama shards."

"Oh, its okay. Where is Rin-chan?"

"She is asleep in her room, I may lead you to it. But I suppose you might want to get dressed."

"Oh," she looked down at her gown, "of course."

After changing out of her gown and into her school uniform, Chouwa closed her door and walked down her hall with Kagome following her. Only passing by a few doors, Chouwa stopped and said, "Here is Rin-chan's room," waving her hand in front of the door, "She's asleep as you can see. My room is right there." She pointed toward the door near the end of the hall. "In case something happens, all our rooms connect to each others, so I can cross through Rin's room and right to yours, as you can too."

"Neat." Was all she said.

"There is breakfast in the dining hall, you may go eat whenever you want. I will be outside tending to Ah and Un."

"Alright."

Chouwa bowed to the young girl and walked back down the hallway once more. Kagome didn't really feel like eating at that moment so she decided to stay with Rin for a while, then go exploring the huge mansion. She opened Rin's door and looked inside the girl's room.

It was the same size as her room, so that meant her's was huge. Since she was so small. Instead of the light blue and bright violet sheets she had, Rin had pink and yellow sheets. Like hers, she had a window, but hers was closed. And the curtains were closed, making the only sunlight passing through look dark pink. The giant rocking chair hers had wasn't next to the window, instead it was right next to the bed. Probably since Rin was so small she couldn't get into her bed at night and needed something to get up on it with.

She walked over to the bed and sat down on the chair. Looking at the young girl fast asleep, she brushed away a lock of hair and looked at her heart-shaped head. She smiled. Wait, why was she smiling? For unknown reasons, she just felt happy and joyful… and sleepy. She had gotten like ten hours of sleep the night before and now she felt tired! What was going on! She laid back and rested her head against the wood of the chair and closed her eyes, just sleep for a second's worth…

_Kagome fell once again to her knees in the Dream Realm. She had a bad habit of doing that. "Kagome… you are here." Said the same voice as before._

"_Uhm… yes… so it seems…" she got up and brushed off the sparkling, golden dust from her legs. "Uhm… why didn't I come last night?"_

"_You didn't feel content… but you felt happy now, so I called you and you were able to come…"_

"_Oh… I see…"_

"_Kagome… you know you asked if Inuyasha could come here, right?"_

_She blushed, "Yes,"_

"_Would you like to see him?"_

_She looked up to the powerful preistess before her, "Really? Oh yes! I'd love to! Please, Midoriko-sama!"_

_She laughed, "Alright, alright, but I want you to do it."_

_She was puzzled, "How?"_

"_Call on him, make every fiber of you're being call on his name and make his image appear in your head and before yourself."_

_She was still confused, but she closed her eyes and made his sleek image appear in her head and thought his name, over and over again. She felt a twinge of pain stab her in the stomach and opened her eyes to see a bright pink sparkle appear around her torso. Seeing it wrap around her lower half, she saw it wasn't going around her lower body, it came out of her lower body, just above her navel. It came undone around her and gathered itself into a ball of bright pink in front of her head. It made itself into an oval shape and she saw a fuzzy image appear in it. Soon the picture turned into a figure, a male figure. He had on a fire red haori and hakama, and snow white hair. She could see dog ears on top his head and his golden eyes._

"_Inuyasha!" she proclaimed, happily._

"_Yes, you can now see him any time you come to the Dream Realm."_

"_But, what about-"_

"_You will have to figure out how he can come here. I cannot help you with that. Call on him, and call on whatever you want. It can make anything appear here. Use it to make your Dream Relm a reality."_

_She understood that she meant, use the power you just used to make her Dream Relm. "I will…"_

"_I have to go, and so do you Kagome."_

"_Will I ever meet you again, Midoriko-sama?"_

"_Yes, someday… when you and your love are put to rest…"_

At the same time, the same silver-haired hanyou was walking along the side of the dirt road with his company, and so-called mate. She was beginning to annoy him. She was either complaining, or just plain being aggravating. Part of it was her voice; it was too monotype and only lowered or raised in one out of a hundred times. Maybe it was the fact she wreaked of death and bones, as she was dead. He felt miserable none the less.

_Great, I was never like this with Kagome._

He barely heard the slap and a yell of, "Hentai!" behind him as Sango flipped Miroku off his feet, his cheeks burning. Shippou shook his head. "Kami,"

Kikyou looked at them, annoyed, "Monk. Stop that, it's annoying."

Miroku looked at her from the ground, giving her the same glare she gave him. Did she even remember why he tried again and again to get an heir?

Sango looked at the miko, "_Shut up_, Kikyou-sama." The reason why she tried to give the undead woman any respect was a mystery to her… perhaps it was a habit?

Kikyou looked at Sango coldly. "Excuse me?"

He looked at them, spaced. "Huh?"

"I swear Kikyou-sama," Sango said. "You may be Inuyasha's… mate, but I sincerely promise that when you're least-"

The houshi got to his feet, shaking off the dirt from his purple yukata. "Kikyou-sama, do you even know what 'shut up' means?"

"-Expect I'm gonna come after you and-"

Kikyou looked at him even more annoyed… if it was possible for the unliving to be annoyed. "Houshi, I wouldn't talk to someone who can kill you in a matter o-"

"Why you-" started Sango, raising her arm, ready to punch the dead woman. It took Miroku and Shippou to stop her. "Lemme at her! Lemme at her!"

Inuyasha watched a cloud pass by. Strange… it looked like a smiling girl's face. …It looked like Kagome.

"Kagome," he whispered.

His right hand lifted to the inside of his haori, fingering a small scroll. _That babaa said that she found this… just for me._

_She said this will give me a human appearance. For one night…_

_Damn it,_ he cursed, his left fist tightening, _why did I drive her away! I could have used this to make her happy!_

"I'm such an idiot!"

He stalked off, fists tight and wanting to cool off.

Miroku's arms were surrounding Sango's shoulder in an attempt to keep her away from Kikyou, whom was staring at Inuyasha's retreating back. Shippou, who of course, was latched to Sango's leg… thinking that his body weight could hold her down.

"You know he's right!" squeaked Shippou.

-

Kagome woke up for the second time that day. Her strained her eyes opened and craned her neck, to get some of the knots out. She looked at the window and saw the fuzzy, dark pink image of the sun a few inches lower than she saw it earlier. _I fell asleep again… and, Midoriko-sama…_

She got up suddenly and looked at the still asleep Rin, "She must really be a heavy sleeper when she comes back here…" she said aloud to no one in particular.

She walked out of her room and left the door just a bit open, to get some fresh air in there, so to speak. She walked down the hall and passed her room. _Midoriko-sama said 'she'll see me when my love and I are put to rest…'_

_I won't see her until I die…_

_But that could be years from now…_

_If I don't die in a battle here, then I'll surely die of old age…_

_And that will be in like, eighty years or something…_

"That's such a long time though… Midoriko-sama, is like, my feudal era mother…"

She stopped walking and bolted her eyes. _Did I just say that? Did I just say I think Midoriko is like the mother I have here? Well, she does resemble her… in both ways… my mother is kind. Midoriko is kind. They are smart, sensible, and have helped me get through issues…_

"I guess Midoriko-sama is like my feudal era mother…"

-

Inuyasha sat in a tall tree while the rest sat on the ground. Kikyou was behind the tree, away from the rest, feeding Kuroinuko. "Where do you suppose Naraku's castle is?" asked Sango, polishing her large boomerang for probably the fiftieth time that month. She was sitting in the sun… away from Kikyou.

"Dunno." Replied Inuyasha, his hands resting underneath his head.

"I would think we'd better be looking for shards instead of Naraku." Said Kikyou, trying to not find him would be a better thing for her anyway.

No one said a word, but sad fully agreed silently. "Kikyou-sama," started Miroku.

"Yes, monk?" she replied sounding bored and angry at _someone_. Someone who was currently not in the group, could you say their arch enemy even?

"Do you sense any shards?"

She blinked. She didn't know how to reply. She couldn't sense any shards, but she told them she did. After all, she was with that jewel for fifty years in her grave, she should be able to at least feel its presence, right?

"No, there are none here…" she lied.

Inuyasha's ears twitched a few minutes later. He grabbed hold on the Tessaiga's sheath. He jumped down beside Kikyou, regretingly. "A demon's coming."

Sango and Mirkou stood up immediately. Kirara hissed and Shippou behind her, squeaking. "What kind?" asked Miroku, getting into his attack position.

He growled. "The only other person who can make my blood boil like Naraku."

Kikyou buttoned up her miko garb and stood up. "Get me out of here."

"Can't."

"Nani!"

"Not enough time."

Kikyou was about to protest but soon a large tornado filled in front of them. It slowed down and the same old wolf demon stood in its place.

"Kouga?" asked Sango, blinking.

_Wait… Kouga has shards? Yet Kikyou-sama couldn't sense them?_

_Lying dead girl…_

"Hey." He said, smirking.

"What do you want?" sneered Inuyasha.

"Why do you think? Looking for my Kagome." He said proudly.

He winced. _Damn that wolf!_ He though angrily. "Good luck. She's not here." Said Miroku, trying to not say where exactly she was, even though everyone knew.

"Then where is she?"

"Keh! Like we'd tell you!" the silver-haired hanyou laughed out.

Shippou turned his head to the side. Speaking to himself, he said, "Kouga still doesn't know that Kagome's with Sesshoumaru… poor Kagome…" he said sadly.

"NANI! Kagome's with your idiotic brother?" yelled Kouga.

"Oops! Did I say that out loud!" he squealed, covering his mouth.

"Gah! Shippou you BIG MOUTH BRAT!" yelled Inuyasha, ready to pumble the little youkai.

"Since you gotta mate Inuyasha, Kagome's mine now! I'm off to find her! Ja ne!" he yelled as he ran off to the west; knowing that Sesshoumaru was the lord of the western lands.

Now how was he going to find that castle though?

"GAH! KOUGA!" Inuyasha yelled. He turned angrily toward Shippou. "SHIPPOU you BIG, MOUTHED SON-OF-A-" he stopped and thought about what was going to happen if he didn't go after Kouga.

"Keh! Never mind! You're not worth it!" he turned and jumped after Kouga.

"Inuyasha!" cried Kikyou.

He ignored her; he didn't want to listen to her right now. In fact he never really wanted to listen to her at all. He just wanted to get Kouga away from Kagome.

_I won't let him lay a hand on her… I swear it!_ He thought angrily.

_He ignored me!_ She yelled inside her head. "Inuyasha didn't listen to me…" she mumbled to no one in particular.

Miroku sighed. "Shippou… did you _have_ to say that aloud?" Not hearing answer in his high-pitched voice, he looked at Kirara where he was supposed to be sitting. "Shippou?"

Sango looked over, and walked to see behind the tiny fire-cat's pelt of yellow fur. Her head whipped back around just as fast as it'd looked, raven hair swishing against her face.

"Shippou's gone!"

-

Kagome strolled the wide hallway. She had never thought a mansion this big could actually be this big. _Well, Inutaishou was the Lord of The Western Lands… it's no wonder that he wanted a huge palace…_

She pasted another hallway, the Living Wing. She didn't know where she was going; she just wanted to see what actually was in the giant palace. Right now, she had just entered the Lord and Lady's Wing. The wing no one was really supposed to be in besides the Lord and Lady unless they have permission. But hey, no one was gonna know! Sesshoumaru was somewhere northern and she had an entire palace to herself, Rin and Chouwa. Why not?

She turned to the right and stopped when she saw a huge door made of marble. _This must be the master's bedroom,_ she thought. She reached for the handle and pulled on it, but it didn't budge. She twisted it again and it stayed put. _Must be locked from the inside_, she turned again and walked back 'til she was at the same corner and this time she turned left.

"I wonder why it won't move… Sesshoumaru is the lord, so why won't it open?" she thought aloud.

_A key?_ She thought. She set aside the memory 'til later to figure it out. She stopped walking when she came upon two sets of marble doors, both a bit smaller than the other set and reached for the handle on the right door. When she twisted it and it opened, she opened the door ajar and poked her head in. She saw a room the size of a garage! It was huge: made of marble, the bed was to her right. It was made of marble, with a few steps leading to the bed and curtains hanging around it in a scarlet color. Setting one bare foot on the floor she yelped when she came in contact with the cold flooring. Pulling it back, she saw a door directly at the back open. Seeing a Jacuzzi size bath inside she realized that it was a bathroom, and decided not to go inside. She looked to the left and saw a mantel in the wall with a tapestry above it.

Squinting her eyes, she saw it was a man. He had long, silver hair pulled up into a high ponytail by a midnight blue ribbon. He had a single light violet stripe on either cheek and pointy elf-ears; he had golden eyes too. Looking at the armor he had on, it was layered, with spikes pointing upwards in light brown color. He had two sword sheaths at his left side and one in his hand. A red tie with a sky blue stripe and block at the end was held around his waist. A large, fluffy goldenish/light brown tail covered his feet so you couldn't see them.

She gasped, _that's!_

_That's… that's Inutaishou! That's Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru's father!_

"Wow…" she said, stunned. She always saw him in pictures as a giant dog demon, but never as his human self. She took one last look at him, and poked her head back into the hallway. Closing the door firmly, she turned at other door. "Do I really want to see what's in there?" she asked herself. _No. That's probably just another master's room or something. Probably just like the other one._ She turned away and started walking back down the hall out of Lord and Lady's Wing. _I shouldn't be poking around anyway…_

It was a while later she figured out where she was. She came out the Lord and Lady's Wing, and into the Living Wing. Seeing the library, main front room, and kitchen, she just strolled by until she came across the door to the outside. Realizing this was probably the door leading to the 'backyard' in her time, she pushed the marble door open and was nearly blinded by the noonday sun.

Blinking a few times, she saw a small wired chair to her left and walked to it and sat down. Looking out, she saw a set of marble stairs before her and leading down to the grassy garden below. Bending a bit over and scooting the chair to edge of the rails, she saw a figure playing in the flowers. A young girl with an orange and yellow kimono on. She smiled and bent up to clearly see the young girl picking daises out of wide flowerbed.

"Rin-chan!" she called down, waving her hand. The young girl looked up hearing her name called, and smiled happily seeing her motherly figure waving.

"Okaasan!" she cried. She dropped the bundle of flowers and ran to side where the stairs led up to her.

-

Sesshoumaru rubbed the bridge of his nose. _That took way too long._ He left at least dawn or so. It was already noon and he was just now returning. Settling a dispute with the wolf Lord of the Northern Land wasn't supposed to take this long. _I just hope Lord Furi doesn't loose his cool when I return in a week._

Smelling the air, he smelt two scents of his female company outside: cherry blossoms and the smell of forest with ginger mixed in. _Kagome and Rin,_ he knew. Flying a bit faster, then stopping to walk a few feet into his garden he stopped short upon entering. His eyes grew to the size of saucers. It was just like a flashback from his childhood.

Seeing Rin running up the stairs, lightly dragging her hand on the marble rail, and Kagome sitting on the wired stool with arms out, it made him remind him of his mother. _My God…_ Rin ran to Kagome and crawled up into her grasp and snuggled into her lap. Kagome smiled brightly and hugged her to her chest. Suddenly feeling that she needed too, she leaned down and kissed Rin's forehead.

He placed his right hand on his chest, thinking that he was gonna have a heart attack or something. He breathed slowly, trying to regain his composure.

This wasn't just a spur of the moment thing… I know it. Something is happened and it's making me remind himself of it…

-

Chatting with Rin made Kagome's attitude lighter and she felt happy. After a conversation for a few minutes Rin finally got down and pulled on Kagome's hand, toward the stairs. "C'mon okaasan! Rin has something to show you!" she giggled. "All right! All right!" she laughed.

Leading her down the stairs and passing by the flowerbed of daises, Kagome wondered where Rin was taking her. "Rin?" she asked uncertainly. "I want to show you something, okaasan!" she replied. They passed the aged rose bushes, and sakura trees that began growing behind them about sixty years ago had outgrown them by four feet, in height at least. Following a worn, rock-paved path Kagome reached out to touch the lovely scented roses but Rin tugged on her hand too much for her to stop and smell.

Passing the bluebonnets, flowering petunias and every other kind of flower that smelt good, Kagome was getting restless. "C'mon, Rin-chan, spill it! What are you doing and where are we going?" she asked. Suddenly stopping, Rin turned to her with a goofy smile. "We're here, okaasan!" she replied happily, pointing ahead of them.

Studying her face for a split second, Kagome's eyebrows knitted together in confusion. Looking up from Rin, she saw what she was talking about and gasped… _that's… that's…_ there stood the same fountain from her dream, in all it's glistening glory. Same flowing water, same structural marble, everything was the same. Well, except for the fact that it was nighttime in her dream and daytime now.

"Rin…"

"Yes, okaasan?"

"It's wonderful! Thank you for bringing me here!" she bent down and hugged the young girl tightly.

"Your welcome, okaasan!" she replied, returning the hug.

Turning Rin around and taking her hands in her own, Kagome stood up and twirled Rin around as if they probably playing 'ring-around-the-rosy' or something. Rin laughed and Kagome giggled, she felt like Rin was her younger sister she never had rather than her daughter, but still, it was nice to have a younger female around. They stayed like that for a while, twirling and laughing, occasionally Kagome tighten her grip and pull harder on their grasp, taking Rin into the air as if she was flying. And Rin loved the way Kagome played with her; it was like this girl really was her mother.

After playing, both were tired and they plopped down on the stone pillar surrounding the fountain. And maybe after 5 minutes of catching their breath, Rin splashed some water onto Kagome, and then a splashing fight started, and both were soaking wet when it finished. Rin took off her orange kimono revealing a white inner kimono underneath. Kagome found a small stone bench next to the fountain and placed it there to dry.

"Kagome-oneechan? Why don't you take off your kimono?"

She winced. "Well, this type of kimono doesn't have an inner one underneath." She stated.

"Ohh…"

-

Sesshoumaru walked the halls of his enormous castle. Thinking, he walked past the Guest Wing and headed strait for his own room. _Why did it seem like that moment was like my own memory?_ He asked himself. Wallowing in his own thoughts, he suddenly stopped short upon sniffing the air. _That smell… that's Kagome's scent…_ he followed the scent and he found it went strait toward his own room. Practically breaking off the knob of the door and swinging it open, he sniffed trying to see if she went in his room. No, it wasn't there. Even if she did go this way, she didn't go inside the room.

Closing his door again, he looked to his left and saw the other door the same way, as it was this morning. _She didn't go inside that room, yet she went in mine?_ His eyebrow stood up. "Hmm…" he reached for the knob of the door and opened it swiftly. Looking inside, he saw it hadn't changed one bit in the last hundreds of years.

On the left, stood the same type of bed he had. Except the curtains surrounding his bed were thick and red, but these were silk and a light lavender. Same marble flooring and steps, same marble cabinets and dresser drawers, even the mantel on his right looked the same. Looking above it, he saw the tapestry of Inuyasha's mother hanging above it, Izayoi.

This room was hers before she became Inutaisho's mate. Before her, this was his mother's room. When Inutaisho decided to have one woman for his mate, he would place them in this room for a few weeks, then after they accepted they would share the master's bedroom down the hall. He sniffed the air and found no scent of her, or his mother. No, after hundred of years the scent had faded away, much to his approval. He didn't like the woman in the first place.

_I will place Kagome in this room,_ he thought. _She will stay in here. Now that Inuyasha has a mate, he will have to stay with her, and Kagome can be mine…_

Walking out the door, he tried to think of ways to tell her that she was moving into this room. She had only been in that other room for a day, and her stuff still hadn't been unpacked from its compartment in Ah and Un's barn. Stopping in front of the master's bedroom, he tried to open the door, but the door was sealed shut. Extending his right pointer finger, he slid it in between the crack of the doors and tampered with it until he heard a faint 'click', meaning the door had been unlocked. Pushing open the double doors, he was greeted with the scent of his father and Inuyasha's mother. It was also mixed in with the scent of mating, which didn't bode him too well.

Covering his nose, he walked to the king size bed that was hidden from view by curtains of satin. He swayed open the surprisingly thickly dark blue curtains to see a clean, made bed. It was larger than king size; it was massive. Night sea blue covers, lighter blue blankets beneath, it was perfect for a couple to sleep in together. He touched the thicker curtain and found another behind it, so that you could only see it if you were in the bed. It was a sky blue, almost shear enough to see right through it.

_Of course, when one master is sick, they take off the thicker curtain and leave this one on so that the other master can see their loved ones without getting sick._

He looked above the mound of pillows and saw a large mirror above a small shelf. The shelf had candles of vanilla and cinnamon. He blushed as the thought came _why_ those were there.

He turned and closed the curtain. But he did so taking his hand off his nose, and was greeted once again with the scent of his father and his mate. He coughed, completely disgusted with the scent. Running out of the room he slammed the marble doors shut, creating a rather loud bang in the other wise silent hallway.

He practically stomped down the hallway, trying to find something to make himself calm down. He didn't know what, but Lady Izayoi just made his blood boil. She was kind, happy, and overall forgiving. So why would she make him so mad? Maybe because she had mated with his mother's mate? Or maybe because he just hated humans? He shook his head; whatever it was, it was hard. He felt an intense pressure come onto his temple and rubbed it. _Ugh, that woman is too complicated._

Turning to his right, he found the door he had been looking for. Opening the thicker marble double doors, he walked on the wooden hallway that was outside the mansion, leading to a small house, almost like a garage, with double doors the only way to enter it. He looked out to humid air to see the backside of the garden, the meadow of flowers that naturally grew there, and a clearing he sometimes used to practice his skills. He stopped and opened the thick marble doors like the ones again; he was greeted with the scent of lavender and lilacs.

In the add-on, there was a built in mini hot spring. Underground; somewhere near there was an underground spring, and it led to here. This was the private a spring where only the masters and guests could use to relax in. He closed the doors behind him and locked the door with a thick walking stick that was always kept there. Then stripping down, he placed his clothes on the ground marble and stepped in the soothing hot water.

-

Kagome opened her geometry book and wrote down the twenty-sixth answer. Surprisingly, she remembered what she learned from her last lesson and smiled. _Let's see, if Freise had to separate her floppy disks into nine groups, but had to save three for herself and bought five more to add in…_ her notes were becoming more clear to her. Shorter, but clear none the less. Adding two answers to her neatly written paper, she slipped it in her book and closed it.

_That problem seemed more like a sixth grade math question._

_Either I'm getting smarter or just becoming more stupid._

_Can't decide on either one thought…_

She put her hands behind her head and leaned back onto the violet pillows on the bed. She sighed and smiled. "This is so relaxing!" she said to herself, closing her eyes. A knock at her door made her open her eyes. "Yes?"

"Okaasan? It's Rin, can I come in?" said a sweet voice. She sat up and saw the faint outline of the little girl through the wood panel of the door. "Of course, Rin-chan."

The door opened and the little girl ran to her bed, leaving the door ajar. She lifted the little girl up when she couldn't climb onto the bed. "Okaasan! Sesshoumaru-sama had something to tell you!"

"Oh? What would that be?"

"He went into the bath house, but he told me to tell you you'd be moving into another bedroom."

"Oh? But I like the bedroom I have now. It's close to you." She tickled Rin and she giggled.

"Lord Sesshoumaru thinks it be best for you to move into the room. I don't know why though. He didn't say. But he told me to help you bring you're things into the room."

"Oh, well, okay then."

After that, she was about to pack up her belongings, but she hadn't even unpacked yet. She lifted her bag over her shoulder and gave Rin a few books to carry since she wanted to help. Just as they leave the Guest Wing where all three were staying, Chouwa passed by them. "Hm? Kagome-chan? Where are you going?"

"Rin-chan says that Lord Sesshoumaru wanted me to move into a different room. So we're moving my stuff while he's at bath."

_Lord Sesshoumaru wants Kagome to move into a different room? What room?_ "Which room is it, Rin-chan?" she asked, looking at her.

"The room next to Lord Sesshoumaru's room!" Rin replied happily.

Chouwa flinched. _That means milord wants Kagome as his mate!_ "Well, do you want any help?" Kagome nodded and gave her a small box she couldn't pack into her bag that was labeled 'school'. All three walked down that hall.

-

Inuyasha ran faster to catch up to Kouga. They were nearing the castle at a fast pace. Surprisingly, the young lord didn't notice them. Probably because Inuyasha had lived there as a child, but still… what could have possibly been on Sesshoumaru's mind not to notice them?

It was nearly sundown, and he wanted to get to Kagome before Kouga did. No _way_ he was gonna let that wolf be her mate! No way in seven hells he was! He gripped the Tessaiga at death grip to control his demonic energy that was beginning to seep through.

He spotted the castle and smelt the faint scent of Kagome. _Cherry blossoms_, such a soothing scent. "That bastard!" he said to himself. He sniffed once more…

_If Kagome didn't go off with Sesshoumaru then this wouldn't be happening! But, I made her go…_

_man, I'm as worthless as Sesshoumaru thinks…_

_Truly._

-

Kagome lightly traced the pattern on the huge vanity mirror above her vanity set. She didn't think that this room would be as large as the other. It had the same color sheets as her old, but a larger bed, and it was circle-shaped, and the other was a simple twin bed.

Her clothes were now laid on the dresser top, because she didn't know how long she would be staying here and be going out. Her schoolbooks were on the vanity, so she could sit at the desk and do school work; she had at least a few more classes worth to do.

She walked over to the massive bed, wanting to relax more than do homework. She pulled the thin curtain away from its position of around the bed so it was now only half showing it. She flopped down and stared at her bare feet, she had become used to no shoes. She heard her marble door creak and she turned to see who was there.

"Sesshoumaru-sama?"

-

Did you know that Inuyasha-sama is five hundred years old? He is! It's in the movie! Or should I say movies? Oh… something is making Sesshoumaru-sama acting weird. It's not just a moment thing. Something really did make Kagome and Rin do that. Next chapter is a very emotional one. Sesshoumaru-sama confronts his past and makes one more move to a new life. When Inuyasha-sama and Kouga-kun get to the castle, they find they can pass through. During this chapter, Kagome-chan gets very confused about her life. Ja ne! Kum-chan


	13. Love Between Ice and Sun Is Not Possible

Love and Ice  
Chapter 13  
Love Between Ice and Sun is not Possible

Just to answer a question even I've been thinking about; Why am I writing this fucked up story?

Because I like screwing with people's minds. Seriously, ask me my name and I say 'Queen Victoria.' Again, again, and again. Ha!

There's some Sango/Miroku fluff that is from the show in here. The words might be wrong, but I try.

-

Kagome wasn't expecting Sesshoumaru come into her room. Especially since the sun was beginning to set, and usually Tsumi would come right about now to either say dinner was ready or to bid her good night.

_Why's he here?_

"Is anything I can do for you?" she asked.

Sesshoumaru had been thinking of Kagome all through his bath. He was thinking of how she would react when he said she'd moving, but more of how she'd react when she found he wanted her as his mate.

_Even though she's ningen, she's powerful. That's why she'd be a good mate for me…_

'I came to talk to you' that's what he wanted to say. But it'd be too weird, and it wouldn't make any sense. "I've thought about you're miko abilities, and I think you need more practice. In the library there's scrolls of old magic and powerful spells. They will be useful to you." He stated.

Kagome was surprised. "Oh…- th-thank you."

Sesshoumaru walked to her, right 'til he was facing her. "Tsumi tells me you're powers could be very much improved with the right training. I suspect you will meet me in training room tomorrow for training."

She nodded dumbly wished him good night. _That was certainly a change of pace_… He nodded and turned to leave.

_I should of used that chance…_ he thought.

-

Kagome woke up the next morning bright and early. She pushed the feather light covers off her and stretched as she walked to the balcony of her room. "I'm so tired…" she said to herself "…I could have used another few hours of sleep…" she mumbled to herself. She remembered that she had to meet Sesshoumaru wanted her to meet him in the training room for her miko abilities. "Oh yeah…" she yawned.

She dressed herself and walked out the door, wearing her socks because she didn't know if the training room had wooden floor or just marble like the rest of the mansion. _I wonder what last night was about…_

She cut off her mental conversation when she turned the corner. There was a dog in the hallway. It probably only came to her knee, and was a blonde like color. "What the?" she asked herself.

The dog grew to a larger size and morphed into a woman with green eyes and pointy ears. "Oh! Chouwa! I didn't know it was you!" gasped Kagome. _Chouwa can change her size in her animal form!_

"That was my animal form. I like to stroll around as a dog to check up on things. It's much easier than my humanoid form." She replied. "Milord is waiting for you in the training room."

"Thank you. I will go to him."

Chouwa bowed. "Back to my patrol." She turned back into her animal form and skitted past Kagome. Kagome followed her movements for a second, then began walking back down the hall again until she reached the training room.

"Sesshoumaru-sama?" she asked aloud entering the room.

He was by a mound of pillows, reading something. "Ohayou, Sesshoumaru-sama." She walked to him peering at the scroll in his hands.

"Tsumi told me this scroll would improve you're skills." He said to her.

"Oh? What's it say?" she asked. He handed her the scroll while still looking at it. Her eyes traveled up and down the mound of words, and she couldn't see anything else around her.

She was unprepared and surprised greatly when she saw his hand at the top move to close it. She looked up to him with wide hazel eyes and saw the freakiest thing. His eyes were full of lust and longing, for…

Her?

She panicked and said his name uncertainly.

"Sess… hou… maru?

Her cupped her chin with his right hand. _This can start it._ He leaned to her mouth-

And hugged her?

_THANK YOU KAMI! OMIGOD I WAS SO SURE HE WAS GONNA KISS ME! HOLY SHIT_! Not really realizing she swore. That didn't happen every day. _If he wants a hug than he should of asked or something…_

Psh, Inuyasha can get a free hug whether he asked for it…

_Shut up._ She scowled mentally.

_She must not be ready,_ he thought. _No matter, she will eventually_. Letting off her, Kagome wanted to push him away and scream at him but she didn't, she knew that if she did she'd be as good as dead.

Sesshoumaru sniffed the air and found that two uninvited people had come within a mile of his palace.

"Intruders…" he said to her.

He let go of her chin and walked off, obviously wanting to kill the intruders, and left Kagome standing in the library confused and angry. She felt his demonic anger fade away, meaning he was farther away so he couldn't see or hear her. Her eyes started to fill with tears.

"I am…crying?" she asked herself, she wiped a stray tear from her pale cheek.

She took in a stuffy breath, and sobbed into her hands. She ran out of the library and into the hallway, not noticing the orange cat above on the second floor where Sesshoumaru's study was. She ran into her room and slammed the door shut, locking it for her benefit. She raced to the bed and cried into the sheets of light lavender satin.

_I know why I'm crying… because I'm in love with someone who can't love me back… his kiss was to make me feel better… not because he loves me…_

"Why is my life a living hell?" she sobbed into her satin pillows. But Kagome wasn't the only one suffering. She knew that, but could she even think about someone right then?

-

"Hah! Beat you!" yelled Kouga, stopping because they had come so close to the castle.

"Feh! You're wasting you're time!" Inuyasha yelled back at him.

Kouga ran to him and swung his right arm, hoping to hit his semi-tanned face but missed. _This arrogant dog is going to die! He has a mate and yet he still wants to protect her!_ He thought, lunging again. Inuyasha punched his gut and jumped back, toward the castle. "Hah!" he boasted. He turned swiftly and began running closer to the castle. "Nah dammit!" cursed Kouga and ran after him.

When Kouga finally stopped, he couldn't find Inuyasha. "Damn, where is he?" he said to himself. Being a wolf he had good sense of smell but no where near as good as Inuyasha's, even if he was a hanyou. He found himself in lower garden and searched for him, "Inuyasha get you're ass out here!" he yelled loudly.

He stopped short when he felt a very powerful demonic presence step in the garden. "Who's there?" he said aloud, whipping around.

Sesshoumaru stepped out of the trees. "Who are you and where is Inuyasha?" His voice cold and icy.

"That's what I'm wondering! You must be Sesshoumaru." Stated Kouga. "I remember you from when the cats were here."_ And those other times…_

"Yes, I am. But enough small talk. Who are you?"

"I'm Kouga. Leader of Wolf Tribe." He stated, posing. "Do you not remember me?"

"Very boring. No. And why are you here and where is Inuyasha?" he said again.

"Kouga!" yelled a familiar voice. Both looked up to the balcony of the garden where the marble rails and steps were to see a pissed off Inuyasha. "Why are you having small talk with my brother?" he asked, angrily.

"I would like to know why you are within the palace grounds, little brother. You know are not allowed within the grounds unless instructed too." Said the taiyoukai.

"Keh! It's his fault!" he yelled at him, pointing to the wolf.

"What! You followed _me_!" he spat back.

"Only 'cause I need to protect Kagome!" he yelled at him.

_The wolf was came here to hurt Kagome? And Inuyasha came here to protect her?_ Sesshoumaru thought. Kouga interrupted his thoughts, "What do you mean? I wasn't gonna hurt her or anything!" he spat.

_He wasn't going to hurt her?_

Inuyasha sniffed the air. He smelt the faint trace of Kagome's scent, but he couldn't find where it came from. He looked to the west and saw the Lord and Lady's Wing; the Lady-to-Be room window was open. "Huh?" he asked silently.

"Hey dog-turd!" shouted an angry voice. He turned back around and shot Kouga a very angry glare.

"What the _hell_ is going on out there!" shouted a pissed feminine voice.

They all looked to Lady-to-Be room and saw Kagome looking at them from the balcony of the room, with very pissed off look.

"Kagome!" said Kouga and Inuyasha together.

"Inuyasha? Kouga?" she whispered, _what are they doing here?_ She wiped her tears away and took several deep breaths and walked out there, hoping if she gave them her pissed look they'd shut up but she stopped short when she found out it was Kouga and Inuyasha.

She saw Sesshoumaru on the edge of his anger and began to worry about the wolf and hanyou. "Sesshoumaru-sama! Don't hurt them! Please!"

He looked at her, giving her 'why should I?' look but the beg in her eyes made him think twice. _After all…_

"Fine." He said, turning to walk back into the castle. She off the balcony, into her room, out her room, in the hallway, and opened the 'back door' just as Sesshoumaru stepped his foot on the first step.

"Can they stay here? Please Sesshoumaru-sama? There might be youkai entering the land." She said with puppy eyes.

True, when he did go out he noticed some demons had followed the two, hoping to catch them for a early breakfast but he would just slice them in half as soon as he got out there. He looked back to the two and found them walking to him, but still angry at each other sending dirty looks at each other.

"Fine. But they go under you're wing." He stated, showing his emotionless face.

She smiled and walked past him to the two as he entered the palace. "Sesshoumaru-sama is letting you two stay here." She told them. "But behave or you're out." She stated.

Inuyasha did a weak 'Feh!' but Kouga just smiled. "Thanks Kagome!" he said to her cheerfully.

-

"Rin? Rin-chan? Wake up, Rin-chan." Kagome stirred the asleep Rin awake, it had hours since she woke up, and it was becoming close to one o' clock.

"Rin-chan, please wake up, we have company." Rin cracked open a chocolate eye before shutting it tightly at the bright sunlight.

"Mama… too…bright…" she mumbled, slinging her right arm over her eyes.

Kagome walked over to the side with the window and stood nest to her head so the sun was blocked from her eyes. "C'mon, Rin-chan. We have company, and it's lunchtime."

Rin pushed herself up and took a hazy look at Kagome. "Lunch…time?" Kagome nodded.

_Even though Rin is only seven or eight, she's acting more like a sophomore on a Saturday._ Kagome giggled and picked the tired girl up, putting her arms around her neck and her legs around her waist, so Rin could get some blood to her body. Rin sighed at rubbed the sleep out of her eyes with her left hand while keeping her right around Kagome neck so she wouldn't fall off. Kagome turned and picked up the kimono she bought her with her right hand, keeping her left around Rin's body and walking out the room. She left the door open, and walked into the hallway toward the bathroom so she could wake the girl up.

Splashing some water onto her half-open eyes, Kagome shook the kimono out and getting some wrinkles out. Rin shook her face and gulped down some water from the cup Kagome offered her.

"I didn't know you could sleep this late." Kagome commented, giggling.

Rin tiredly smiled, "Rin usually doesn't oneechan. But Rin was very sleepy. Must have been dinner." She mumbled loudly. She untied the obi to her thin; white under kimono she slept in and placed it on a wooden stool. She stepped into a cold bath and shivered, she was fully awake now.

"Oneechan! The water is too cold!" she said through chattering teeth.

"Sorry, Rin-chan. Tsumi was too busy to warm it up. Besides, if it was warm the you'd never wake up." She giggled.

Rin held her breath and dunked underwater, coming up cold and shivering. "Okay, Rin-chan. You're clean enough. Come out before you freeze."

Rin jumped at the offer and stepped out of the water, shivering and chattering her teeth. "Cold… so cold…" she whispered. Kagome wrapped her in a warm, fluffy light blue towel and dried her off. "Good thing I left this in the sunlight, ne Rin-chan?"

Rin smiled and dried the rest of herself off. Kagome held out her under kimono and Rin put it on before putting on the outer one. "Kagome-oneechan, this is too pretty." She whined.

"Pretty kimono for a pretty girl." She said tapping her nose and pushing her toward the door.

-

Kagome and Rin entered the dining room to find Kouga and Inuyasha sitting there. "Are you two hungry?" she asked. Kouga's stomach growled and he turned pink, Inuyasha laughed.

"That answer your question." He said, trying not to fall over. Kagome giggled and followed Rin into the kitchen.

She stopped short when she heard a nasily little voice that she recognized, "Did you guys hear that?" she asked, poking her head out the kitchen.

"Hear what?" asked Inuyasha.

"It sounded like Shippou-chan." She answered.

Kouga winced and shot up with a pained look on his face moments later, "Ow! Man!" he rubbed his tail and he pulled out a dazed looking Shippou. "This kit high-tailed it on my tail _again_!" he whined.

Kagome ran into the room and took Shippo away from him, "Shippou-chan! Shippou-chan! Shippou-chan wake up!" she desperately said, shaking him lightly.

"Ugh…Ka…go…me…?" he said dazed.

"Shippou-chan are you alright!" she asked, sitting down. Shippou shook his head to get the dazed expression off and was replaced with a bewildered look.

"KAGOOOOMEEEEEE!"

He launched himself onto her neck and squeezed her shoulders. "I thought I'd never see you again!" he started to cry into her shoulder. Kagome smiled and stood up, walking back into the kitchen where Rin was starting lunch.

"Shippou-chan, are you all right?" she asked sweetly. Shippou looked up to her with an innocent expression, "I'm fine now, Kagome. Why did you have to leave us?"

Kagome felt a pain in her heart, "I couldn't live with Kikyou being close to me. After all, she's a corpse. Who can stand the scent of dirt and bones?" she asked, forgetting that Inuyasha could hear them.

Shippou nodded. "I couldn't breath when she was around. It was so horrible Kagome! Please promise me you'll never do that again!" Kagome smiled.

"Alright Shippou-chan." She gathered him a little tighter in her arms, and motioned toward the pantry, or something that looked like it would hold dry food. "Rin-chan, come here will you?" Rin came out of the pantry and saw the little kitsune in her mother figure's arms.

"Okaasan? Whose that?" she asked innocently.

Shippou gaped, "Kagome? Whose that and why's she calling you mother?"

"Rin this is Shippou, Shippou this is Rin." Rin smiled at the ypung fox demon. They did remember each other, right?

_No fair! She gets to call Kagome mother, why can't I?_

-

After lunchtime, Kagome, Shippou and Rin just played in the garden all day. They laughed, picked flowers and had more splash fights at the fountain. Inuyasha just spent the day sitting on the balcony, watching them. Kouga sat there too, but he got up after a while and went to 'play' with them.

Inuyasha felt a twinge of what, jealousy? Seeing him there, playing with her and the children. Without a care in the world! It was sickening! But he stayed put.

_I promised Kagome I'd protect her,_ he thought, _I'll be damned to break it._

After Kouga went inside, and Shippou went in and Rin did too, he caught Kagome before she went inside. "Kagome?"

She turned to him from the door. "Yes, Inuyasha?"

He gulped inside. "Miroku and Sango have been worried about you. They think something happened to you when you didn't come back. How have you been since then?"

"…I've been partly okay. Sesshoumaru has been fairly nice to me, and hasn't tried to kill me yet." She joked, but her smile was gone in a flash, "But Inuyasha, I haven't really been myself since I left everyone."

"Why?"

"Why? Because you hurt me Inuyasha. Badly! And I don't think I can stand much more! It was a miracle for Sesshoumaru to let you stay here at all." She turned her back to him and walked to edge of the balcony. She could feel her eyes wanting to sting.

Inuyasha felt his heart tug at him, "I-I'm sorry Kagome… I didn't mean to hurt you, I just… didn't see it." He walked to her and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

Kagome felt a huge burden fall off her shoulders, actually admitting that. His hand felt warm, and his words fell out like wine. Even though she could hear he was trying not to choke it out. She felt one tear squeeze out of her right eye, but no more and slightly smiled. "Apology, accepted." She managed to choke out.

_Inuyasha…_

_Do you realize it's more than an apology I want?_

-

Sango sighed beside the perverted houshi known as Miroku. "Ne, Houshi-sama?" He lay in the grass beside her, Kirara in her larger form on her other side.

Miroku's purple eyes opened to the starry sky, "Hai?"

"Do you think Kagome-chan is alright?" she asked, looking at the dark overhead them.

Miroku nodded, curving his fingers around the back of his dark hair so they'd rest under his head. "Hai, Kagome-sama has a very strong will. She knows how to keep herself out of trouble."

"I'm just worried that trouble will find her though," the maroon-eyed girls' arms wrapped around her knees to hug them to her chest.

Miroku turned his head toward the young taijiya, his eyes glazing over a bit.

"…Sango?" he started, the girl's eyes went to his face. "You… often worry about… Kohaku? Right?"

Sango's eyes got larger at him. _Why… is he bringing Kohaku into this? I just asked about Kagome-chan right?_

"I was just thinking," he continued, sitting himself up beside her. "We haven't seen Kohaku-kun for some time. Do you think Naraku still has him within his hands? It is… hard to find him after all…"

Sango looked down to the grass beneath them, _there's so many…_

"Also," he said, brining her attention back him, "You might not like me being here with you at this moment, especially talking about Kohaku," he looked her straight in the eyes, "I worry about him too… I also worry for you, Sango."

Her impossibly big eyes got bigger, and a blush suffused her lightly tanned cheeks. "Houshi-sama…"

"Is it okay to be with you?" he asked, leaning to her side, bringing himself any closer if he could.

Sango's eyes drifted down to his dark robes, her voice leaving her. Leaning her head on his shoulder unconsciously. _Houshi-sama…_

Miroku's gloved hand grasped around her shoulder, pulling her to him once more. "I don't want for you to face this difficulty alone. Is there anything I can do?"

"…Just stay like this… close to me," she whispered, _please don't leave._

"I will." He nodded, kissing the cheek closest to him.

-

Kagome sat upon he bed, knees pulled to her chest and her hands underneath the crook of her legs. She was thinking about what had happened in her life that day, completely flabbergasted, if such a word exist. It was at least midnight, but she wasn't the least bit tired. She left her window open, and the moonlight gave the room light. The wind made the curtains swirl and float around, and cooling the room since it springtime and the heat went all throughout the day.

She sighed and felt her warm breath fall over her face when the wind blew it her way. She halfway shut her eyes and looked to her left. Shippou was lying down; contently asleep underneath the sheer layers of blankets he slept on. She brushed aside of reddish hair from his adorable face and smiled when he purred from her gentle touch. She leaned back and plopped her head silently on the feather pillows. She stared at the canopy bed top. She felt drained, the mental stress she was going through all day was exhausting her inside and out. She sighed again and closed her eyes, praying that she could go to her mental sanctuary…

_When she entered her sanctuary, she saw the wonderful balcony she wanted there and sighed, feeling better already. She had chosen that she wanted a room like hers back home, but with a wide balcony and ocean colored skies around. She raised her arms and twirled around, but gasped when she saw the face she didn't want to see._

"_Sesshoumaru-sama! What are you doing here?" she asked, stepping back._

_Sesshoumaru smirked, "I needed to be with you. And since that kit's in your room, I called for you in my sleep and found myself here." He answered. Kagome turned around and walked to her balcony, wanting to be alone more than anything._

_Sesshoumaru grinned and followed her, wrapping his arms around her person and nuzzling her neck._

"_Can you please stop? I don't want this." She said, pushing his arms off her._

_Sesshoumaru frowned. She still has feeling for my idiot half-brother, that baka; I should tear him limb from limb. He thought, he was unprepared when it was heard aloud and Kagome gasped, forcefully pushing his arms off her and turning around to him. Oh crap…_

"_You hate him that much?" she asked, her eyes filling with tears. "What did he ever do to you?"_

_He stayed silent._

"_He was born," he answered, "He stole my father. He does not deserve to be related to me in any way."_

_Soon the image of Kagome became fuzzy and blurry; Sesshoumaru panicked thinking she would go away. "No! Wait!" he said, he embraced the fuzzy image until he was embracing nothing but air. "No, please, don't leave… not yet…"_

Sesshoumaru sat up, wide-awake. He clutched at his heart and gasped. He never felt so alone right then. His perfect mate was in the room right next to his and he felt like she was across the sea. He gathered his wits and stared at the closed door. He couldn't imagine what Kagome was going through right now, but all he could think of was how to make her his mate, he was too think headed to care right now.

-

Shippou's heart was just about to break. He woke up to the sound of whimpering and found Kagome tossing and turning in her sleep. He saw her eyes were tightly shut and tears leaking out of them. He wanted to comfort her but he couldn't think of how to do it. He crawled over to her and laid underneath her chin and held her hand within his own. She took it gratefully and cradled him to her chest, crying and whimpering at the feeling of great depression.

He whispered loving things to her; it was the only thing he thought would calm her. She seemed to hear them and clamed herself. She stopped tossing and stayed still. She still cried but she held her ground. _Poor Kagome, she must be in great pain… what has made so sad? Even Inuyasha couldn't do this much of pain to her._

"Kagome, it's okay!" he whispered. "Kagome please! Don't cry!"

She only whimpered in her sleep.

Shippou's big green eyes grew teary, _Kagome! What's wrong?_

-  
This is the apex of the entire story. Kagome must come down to her decision now, and the rest of her life will be affected by it. There are more chapters but this one just hits the rocks, doesn't it? Within the next they do this: crying, fighting and a little bloodshed. I tried not to cry while writing this. DO YOU KNOW HOW HARD IT IS! It's the hardest thing I've ever done. Aww! MS fluff!  
**Dictionary:  
**Ohayou- good morning  
Review my loyal readers, or flamers, review onegai! Kum-chan


	14. Goodbye

Omigawd. Spring Break is gone. Thank you. Being with half my bloodline's 'almost' complete family for eight days has put me through sugar and soda. Every day. And I mean every freaking day. Woo! NEW ENERGY! I'm very sorry to say this, but a number of people ask me if I write Sesshoumaru/Kagome stories. Unfortunately I don't write Sess/Kag fics. This may seems like one, but as I said, it's Inu/Kag. I do support the Sess/Kag fics, but I do not write them. Go to http / kagsess. Eternal – adortion. Net / and look for the author Ericedwyn, for her story 'A Demon Should Act Like A Demon'. Or something like that. Watch the sparks fly as Kagome's loving soul melts the ice around Sesshoumaru's heart. Aw! I read it a long time ago… but it's a great story if I recall. It's one of the few that inspired me to write my own stories. …Even though they suck.

Love and Ice

Goodbye

A pair of beady red eyes blinked irately at the two forms in front of him. Kagura, his wind demon, and Kanna, his soul imprisoner. He made a sound at the back of his throat that sounded much like a growling sneer,

"Where _is_ she?"

Kagura looked back him, her scarlet eyes halfway open, "Who?"

"Kikyou, who else." He sneered, "Where is she Kagura?"

"How would I know?" she asked boredly, crossing her arms, "I, unlike some people, don't follow her every freaking move."

Naraku came to a stand and grabbed her by the shoulder, his long nails burrowing into the kimono sleeves. "Shut up Kagura! I hold your heart in hand, if you want to keep it then go and _find_ her!"

He threw to the floor, hearing a bone snap because of it. The wind demoness got up, leaving Naraku to his own crazy self.

Kikyou we had a deal.

Now it's fucked up.

"It's fucked up!"

Miroku rubbed his temple, sighing at the silver-haired hanyou before that kept insisting pacing into the dirt. "Inuyasha?"

"I'm telling you; this is so fucked up!" he clenched his clawed hand, "I know! I know! 'Choose between Kikyou or Kagome' _whatever!_ You don't know-"

"How this feels," he finished his sentence, "I know, I know. This might have been easier for you if-"

"I hadn't mated to Kikyou, I know!" He stopped his pacing to stare angrily at the male human, "Mou, are you a broken-"

"Record player?" he questioned. The hentai houshi looked at Inuyasha big surprised eyes. "I didn't know you were playing any attention when Kagome-sama was telling us about that strange thing."

"Will you SHUT UP!" Inuyasha yelled, his fists balling and waving frantically in the air. "I thought we were talking about me!"

"We _are_ talking about me… right?"

Kagome nodded her head. "Hai, Kikyou-sama. I want to apologize… to you," The two young women weren't in the land of the Western Lord. They were in the forest, a while from the palace. They'd left that morning

The undead miko blinked her brown eyes. "You… do?"

"Hai." She said firmly, wringing her trembling finger behind her back. "I'm sorry if I caused trouble between you and Inuyasha… for the last months or so, since Kuroinuko was born."

Kikyou looked down at the baby in arms; _this isn't what I expected. Kagome; is apologizing to me? _

Does she realize what I'm trying to do?

Doesn't anybody_ realize?_

A wave of energy lightly pulsed from the blankets in her arms, and she gulped nervously. _Naraku…_

"Naraku."

Chouwa blinked her big green eyes at her lord. Her pointy ears twitched. "Naraku?" she echoed. "Whose Naraku?"

"Naraku: the one that killed the priestess that held the Shikon. He made her and Inuyasha betray each other, that's why he was under the fifty-year curse." Sesshoumaru paused to reach for Toukijin, strapping it to his side. "She was resurrected, and Inuyasha mated to her… Kagome, the one who freed him from the curse, ran away. She… was under my protection. Now, she's left again." _I still don't know _her_ name even. I bet I won't even know it when she's killed._

Chouwa brought a hand to her chin, thinking. "Inuyasha-sama? He's alive?"

"Hai."

"Inuyasha-sama! I've wondered about him," she paused to look though the window, "I wonder… Kikyou-sama? Wasn't she the miko that held the sacred jewel?"

"I do not know quite yet. Perhaps." He brushed his mild curiosity off, perhaps Kikyou was the one? Was that her name? Maybe…

Then it was_ him! Ooh, Kagome-chan loves Inuyasha-sama!_ Her suspicions were confirmed; Inuyasha did mate to the dead priestess, but how could they have a baby? Unless they resurrected a soul and put it into clay… or offered a sacrifice…

was Her suspicions were confirmed; Inuyasha did mate to the dead priestess, but how could they have a baby? Unless they resurrected a soul and put it into clay… or offered a sacrifice…

Inuyasha-sama.

Did Naraku have anything to do with this?

The silver-haired dog demon straightened the kimono top, patting Toukijin as a sign of luck. "I'm leaving Chouwa. Tell Rin to stay."

"Hai milord. When will you be returning?" the younger dog demon asked, looking up at his tall figure.

"Soon. I need to check out something," she nodded. There was a smell coming close to the palace, something that didn't smell like the other things that came this way. No one knew their way to the castle except the Inutaishou's sons and the ones told. The fact that Kouga was able to find it was a mystery. It was surrounded by a barrier, albeit thin and not-so powerful like the evil Naraku's, but close. Kagome's scent must have brought him here.

"Farewell, Sesshoumaru-sama." She bowed politely before her lord; he returned it with a simple nod and set off the castle grounds.

Lord Sesshoumaru, please return.

…Should I return to Sesshoumaru? Could I deal with Inuyasha… and Kikyou?

"So, we're okay?" A dark haired girl asked an older woman who seemingly looked just like her, with long dark hair and wearing white and red robes.

Yes. I can deal.

"Yes." Answered the older one.

"No hard feelings?"

"No."

"Does this mean we're fri-"

"Don't push it." Kikyou's brown eyes looked pointedly at her, and Kagome smiled.

"Well, it's a start anyway, right?" she asked once more, and Kikyou nodded. "Good! Now, we all need to find Naraku… and soon."

Kikyou frowned a bit. _Naraku. He's the reason why I'm in this whole mess…_ "Kagome…"

"Hai, Kikyou-sama?"

Kikyou didn'y exactly notice Kagome's words for her thoughts were elsewhere when she spoke, "Would you hate me if… I did something horrible?"

"K-Kikyou-sama?" Kagome's warm eyes got bigger. "I… don't know."

"Answer me Kagome," Kikyou looked at her reincarnation. "If did something horrible, would you hate me?"

"It… It would depend on what," Kagome answered, lightly scratching her knuckle, her eyes straying to side. "Kikyou-sama."

"Like?"

"Like um, killing a friend. Or something," Kagome looked at Kikyou. "Why?"

"Just wondering," Kikyou answered, looking down at Kuroinuko. "I just thought…" she trailed off.

"No need to say, Kikyou-sama!" Kagome held her hands up while Kikyou looked up at her in surprise. "Whatever it is, I'd forgive you! I'm pretty sure about that anyway."

Inuyasha. What about him?

"…I… I have to go," Kikyou suddenly got up from her spot in the grass where they were sitting. Her arms held Kuroinuko tightly, barely hearing the small body, cry out of a tweak.

"Go?" Kagome echoed, looking up with her big eyes. Her dark brows scrunched together.

"Hai." She briskly answered. "Stay safe Kagome." Kikyou began down the hill quite quickly if you could say,

"Kikyou-sama!" Kagome called, racing after her. Kikyou didn't get that quite yet, Kagome wasn't a quitter. She'd run after you as if you'd stolen her purse sometimes. Kikyou stopped in front of a bundle of trees began into the darker forest. She bent over and huffed and asked unsteadily, "W-Where are you going? Are y-you coming back?"

Kikyou looked straight into her brown eyes. Her own brown eyes were empty with only sadness and… adoration? For whom? "Kagome," she whispered. "Kill Naraku," her face was so close Kagome blushed pink.

"Ki… Kikyou-sama?" she whispered.

Before she realized, Kikyou had kissed her cheek with her colder lips and called back as she ran into the dark forest. "Goodbye Kagome-chan."

And she was gone.

Completely gone. Kagome blinked, bringing a hand to touch her pale skin that she'd been cursed with, despite the fact she'd been outside so much. Why had Kikyou run off like that? Why had she told her she had to go? Why had she told Kagome to kill Naraku?

Kagome touched the part of her skin where Kikyou had pressed her lips against…

It felt cold.

The twigs and branches fallen to the ground were neatly arranged in an irregular pattern, not even put there in particular way, though the way you'd look at it… it seemed right. One particular branch the misfortune to be stepped on by a booted foot, coming up to see long white pants leading to a kimono top with red floral pattern, tied shut with a long sash of yellow and purple. The owner of this clothing had long, silky silver hair and golden eyes of sun, crescent moon and scarlet stripes painted into skin by forehead and cheeks, giving his eyes a red tint to seem feminine.

He looked like a more male version of his mother, said the servants he had. Even Chouwa, who had been alive when she alive. That was hundreds of years ago though.

His gold eyes went to the left bend of trees, before calling out to the shadows.

"Come out."

There was a soft gasp and startled step as it landed on a twig of most all. Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes after seconds passed and the unknown person didn't move from their place.

"You are in the way of the West Lord. Move, or I will make you."

Another few seconds passed before the person moved and walked into the sight of the dog demon. His golden eyes widened a little, and his breath cut short. His throat made a small noise.

Before him was a jackal demon. Her long, gold hair loose against her tanned skin, coming to her thighs and twisting against the thin frame. Long tanned arms came out from a thin black garment that was jagged at the ends of seams and held up by the shoulders, sporting a wide neck and coming to a stop at her thighs. Long, tanned legs came from the clothing, golden anklets hung from the ankle and a gold bracelet hung loosely from her wrist. A pair of jackal dog-like ears came from the blazing locks of hair each pierced with what seemed like a golden hoop and more golden studs.

But what caught his attention the most was the shade of her eyes: for they were colored glassy like jade.

"…Who are you?" he asked when his voice came back. The jackal demon jumped and looked at him with those big jade-like eyes,

"M-My name is Kunshun. Uh, Hedoshi Kunshun." She stuttered. Why was there a pink flush to her tan cheeks? "Y-You can call me Kunshun, if you want…" and why was this dog demon so open?

"Kunshun." Stated Sesshoumaru. His golden irises narrowed, that name wasn't familiar. "You are not from Japan."

"No," she folded her hands behind her and poked her toe in the dirt, "I-I'm from another country." Did that explain the black around her eyes? "It's called Egypt."

"Egypt." He started, "And where is that?"

"South, very south and very east," she looked up at him. "It's across the ocean, and even more east then… I've been here for so long, I'm sorry if I took your land…"

Across the ocean? Like those panthers? …Hmm, more east and south then? "Not all, just a dot." He brushed it aside. Did they speak the language here and there too? Or did she have to learn herself, did someone teach her? "How long have you been here?"

"A year." She said. "I've moved around a lot… My family is all back home, so I've got no where to stay."

"I see." He looked at those same green eyes. The pink tint to her cheeks had gotten more pronounced, and her lips were painted maroon as well. So she was from across the ocean… what did she seek here? A new life, perhaps? Or perhaps she ran away, and her adventures led her here? But her clothes were so richly made and the way she had on gold without a worry for it being stolen, was amazing. Why was there black curling around her eyes as well? …And why was Sesshoumaru, possibly the strongest of the dog demons (or demon period) in the country of Japan, feeling like his face was turning the shade of pink she had too? "…Do you have a place to stay?" His deep voice came back.

This is how you'd talk to her… before you left…

…Right Kagome?

"She fucking left!" The dog hanyou's eyes were so big Sango could her reflection in them. Kagome fidgeted with the sleeve of the kimono garb top, white to similarity of the one Kikyou had been wearing before she left.

"Yeah, she left." She answered, fidgeting even more. The robes were itchier than she remembered the last time she wore them.

"Why, Kagome-sama?" Miroku asked, cocking his head to once side.

"I… don't know."

Sango looked past them to the forest where Kikyou had escaped off to. "Kikyou-sama? She just left? …Strangely, doesn't sound like something _she'd_ do."

"Weird, isn't it?" Kagome frowned, also looking at the forest. _I don't. I don't hate you. I was just mad. Please, Kikyou-sama. Don't be mad at me. At Inuyasha. At anyone…_

"Yeah, fucking weird." Inuyasha put his hand on the hilt of Tessaiga, closing his eyes and sighing. "She even took Kuro. Damn."

"We could catch her?" Kagome asked, looking back at her. "That way we could convince her not-"

"No!" Inuyasha said, surprising the rest of the group. "No… Kikyou would have a reason. The Kikyou now is bitter. But even the resurrected one or _real_ Kikyou would have a reason."

"Let's not interfere?" Miroku interpreted.

"Aa." Inuyasha looked at Miroku.

"Well this is all weird!"

Kagome turned around to see Shippou watching them with Kirara on his side, her head cutely tilted to one side, as if not quite understanding them. "Seriously!" he squeaked again.

"Yeah, that's true." Kagome turned her dark haired head back to the forest again. _Kikyou… where have you gone?_

Where have you gone Naraku?

"Kouga!"

The longhaired young wolf demon turned around, stopping to see his other companions and wolves running toward him, with odd looks on their faces.

"What? Why are you guys stopping?" he asked as they got nearer.

Ginta spoke to him, "Kouga! When we left the falls I saw something!"

Kouga's dark brow raised up, "Oh?"

"It… It was, that wind witch!" Hakkaku breathed out, lost of his breath coming toward him. "She-she was s-spying on us!"

"Wind witch?" Kouga echoed. "Kagura? Really, wonder if she was working for Naraku? Seeing what were doing…?"

They didn't get another word to say, because the winds around suddenly picked up and whirling them around. The less-powerful wolf demons cried out, yelling what the hell was going on, and Kouga braced himself against the winds. The wolves howled, and the winds disburse. Kouga, lowering his arms from the winds, looked over to about fifty feet, and there stood the said wind witch. Dressed in a red kimono with folds of blue, with a sash of yellow-red.

"Yo." She smiled.

"Yo yourself." Kouga growled. "What the fuck do you want?"

Kagura inclined her toward the east, "You really should be more nice, Kouga. Especially sense I was going to tell you something…"

Kouga's brow raised again, "What the fuck? Well then tell me. I ain't got all day."

Kagurs smiled with big scarlet eyes, "Naraku's new location. He's moved once more." Her red lips were now turned upwards in a true smile. …Strange.

How many time is it now? More than twice…

"He still has his 'home', but he's decided to just kill Inuyasha's group and get the shards."

Kouga flinched, backing up a step. "W-What! Y-You can't be serious!"

"I am, Kouga." She stated simply, "I came to warn you."

"Why?" Kouga turned confused at the demoness, "Why would you help me?"

Kagura face was covered by her fan, she didn't want Kouga to see the pink flooding to her cheeks. "I hate Naraku." She said softly, for the first time she's told someone of what she thought in a long while, "I want him dead. I thought you of all people could help…"

Kouga's back straightened and his dark cheeks lightened in a pink tint. What? Kagura was openly… flirting with him.

Okay, what _the_ fuck!

"So?" he asked. "What is Naraku exactly?

She pointed in the general direction with her fan, "That way. He's hidden himself amongst the caves."

Kouga looked in the direction again, feeling a breeze play with his hair and lift up his black locks. "…Got it."

Kagura turned around, pulling a white feather from her black locks. Idly wondering why she rarely let her hair down for once, "I should go. I won't last for very long…" she opened her scarlet eyes once they'd closed for a moment, looking at the grass. "…Naraku will kill me soon… I thought I'd help if I could…"

Kouga took a step toward her.

"Goodbye Kouga," Kagura threw the feather up, and gracefully landed on the white, and flew off in the direction of the clouds.

Kouga's eyes widened and tried run after her, "Kagura!" she didn't stop. "Kagura!"

She disappeared in the clouds, and Kouga stopped running. He panted.

Kagura… why did you tell me where Naraku was?

. :end of chapter: .

More chapters to come. Yes, I'm a Kagura/Kouga fan. I know, Kagura and Sesshoumaru seemed to be something, but I like to think that they'd be good 'cause they're rival lovers. So um yeah. Now for something random: "SEN-GOKU-GOKU-GO-TSU-BU-TSU-BU-TSU-BUSHI-O-TOGI-TOGI-TOGI-MUGI-TOI-DE-DOKI-DOKI!" This is a clip from where the Inu-tachi had to recite this to get past a Tongue-Twister Guardian. OMG this is so funny! You gotta listen to this and when Kikyou-sama did it too. Shippou-chan sounded like he was bouncing up and down when he was reciting it. FUNNY CRAP DUDE!

Inuyasha: It wasn't funny. My tongue hurt after saying that!  
Patukum: …And I care why?  
Inuyasha: Hey!


	15. Deaths from an Evil Hand

Life is full of beautiful things soft sunset… painted rainbows… delicate blossoms… love and laughter… joy and happiness… and fantastic people like YOU! (Paste this in an email (Chain Letter.)) Thank you for your reviews; helps me a lot with the story. I deleted my new ideas for the story, so its going in a different direction then I intentionally thought. I'm just kind making it up as I go. I know, I know, Kunshun, but like said… DELETED! Oh yes… half of this chapter pretty much belongs to Shadow4d4. Thank you! And people… this is Kagome/Inuyasha pairing. I've said this how many times? And also, sorry if I don't email you directly. My email/computer's a moron. I changed the rating 'cause I want to. I mean, who watches a PG-13 movie and watch people get killed with a blade?

This chapter (mainly the fluffy stuff) is dedicated to Kunshun-chan! (She's in love with Sesshoumaru. Bwahaha.)

---

Love and Ice

Deaths from an Evil Hand

---

"Sesshoumaru-sama?"

Sesshoumaru glanced briefly at the small girl standing behind his most loyal servant, who was clinging to her kimono with tight fingers. Rin had once said she was more afraid of human than demons, so why was she hiding behind Chouwa and not being overly affectionate to the jackal demon?

"Hello…" the said jackal demon started, softly smiling at the little girl and the other dog demon. "My… name is Kunshun."

Chouwa looked at the demon's jade-like eyes, searching the brief flashes of light in them with her trained own grass-like eyes._My name is Kunshun. I am a jackal demon. I am heir to the Egyptian kingdom._

_Basic information,_ Chouwa could only catch the 'basics' she had it when looking for what the person was like or what as they thought of themselves. For Kagome, it had been quite… misunderstanding. Whatever she was talking about… the future? Or something… it was weird. Kagome was a very string willed… maybe those things in her home helped her? She wouldn't be easily found of her emotions. But what she didn't know whatever way you feel, around the soul you hold those emotions. Love, depression… confusion. All the these things she didn't expect to find, especially with Inuyasha of all people. The young man had been a rather loud baby, but by what she knew of him before he had gone away from the castle… he seemed like someone who'd know his ways._ If only someone was there to guide him though,_ Chouwa thoughts turned as the demon spoke more.

"Who are you?" she asked, taking a step toward the taller woman. Chouwa smiled at Kunshun, she seemed nice just based on her readings…

"My name is Chouwa," she bowed gracefully to the young demon, "I am Lord Sesshoumaru's servant. I am pleased to meet you, Kunshun-sama."

Kunshun bowed back, feeling a bit awkward. They could see she was not from here, what exactly did bowing have to do with this? "And what's you're name, little one?" she asked, looking at the slightly frightened girl with long dark hair.

"R…Rin," she squeaked, looking at with big brown eyes of innocence and play.

"What a pretty name!" Kunshun smiled brightly, doing a little bow to her. "I'm very pleased to meet you, Rin-chan, Chouwa-sama." Rin looked at her with bigger eyes, this girl had big ears of a dog on her head like Inuyasha-sama, but she didn't look… like she was around from here.

Sesshoumaru-sama? Is Kunshun…sama going to stay with us?

She's pretty like Kagome-oneechan!

* * *

"This way," Inuyasha pointed toward a bend of trees. They were in the deep forest, looking for the last time of Naraku. Kikyou had left, and this direction was the way they had intentionally wanted to go… perhaps Kikyou had left for Naraku as well? They could meet up again.

Miroku looked past the trees and hills, "This is the direction of his scent?" he asked. Inuyasha nodded his silver-haired, the houshi looked behind to see Shippou picking at something.

"Shippou!" he called, the baby fox looked up.

"Shippou-chan!" Kagome said, shifting her yellow pack against her white robes, "Come on! We need to go!"

"Coming!" he called, leaving whatever he was picking at alone and hopping to the said miko's shoulder.

The group started once more along the grass and trees, leaving nothing but scents and footprints away. But behind them too, in the short grass and sheltered from view that only the fox saw once before, were a few strands of dark strait hair. A few moments later, a long white dragon-like snake flew down to retrieve the hair and lead away in the direction the groups had headed in.

* * *

A cold hand slapped swiftly at a woman with a red eyed face, she cried out and fell down. Naraku lifted his hand up, which was bloodied red by now, he looked angrily down at her, his beady eyes a merciful red,

"They're headed this way!" he yelled. He picked up the wind demoness by her long dark hair, and threw her against the wall. Kagura cried out, grabbing her upper arms in way of making her feel better. Naraku's hand picked her up again and threw her to the floor, kicking her, causing her to slide on the ground.

"Do you understand what you've done!" he shouted. "They're coming here and they'll find me!" Why was Naraku so angry all of a sudden? He'd never acted this fierce like this…

Kagura coughed harshly, putting a hand over her mouth in an attempt to preserve her appearance. When the hacking in her lungs was gone, Kagura removed her hand and looked at her palm. Blood was smeared all over her hand.

"Naraku…" she whispered.

"What? What is it now?" he glowered, and kicked her again. Kagura whimpered as she hit the wall near the floor. "Do you want to beg for forgiveness?"

Kagura was silent.

Naraku's hands curled into fists. Damn that woman! Now she was not even answering! With luck, she was already unconscious by now. He didn't need Kagura. The wind demon had done nothing to help him. She told Kouga! She told that damn wolf demon where he was, and he was probably on his way to tell Inuyasha, since Naraku wanted to go ahead and kill them.

Now… he didn't need her. Which meant she didn't have a reason to live.

Slowly Naraku's lip turned to a sadistic smirk, and he raised his bloodied hand, and curled to grasp air, and Kagura's closed scarlet eyes opened to the size of saucers and cried with the most pain she'd felt yet.

Something in her chest was tightening and being clenched with a tight grip, her heart was churning upside and being twisted.

Naraku!

"Now you have no reason to live, Kagura," his voice was low with evil, "So… welcome back to my body."

The twisting became more pronounced, and Kagura began to cry. Tears were building up behind her eyelids, starting to fall down her cheeks that were already red. But her tears turned from clear to red. She was crying blood.

…I will never find my freedom.

Kagura's mind, thinking she didn't have but a few moments of real life to herself, wandered. The only memories she thought of were of two persons…

Sesshoumaru…

Kouga…

The cooling wind she felt inside was rather nice… and the images of flowers was a nice setting.

Goodbye.

* * *

"Kunshun-sama?"

The golden-haired young demon turned around to have a smiling dog demon behind her. "Chouwa-chan." She smiled back.

"Are you alright? Are you hungry?"

"No. I'm fine… just…" Kunshun shyly looked at Chouwa's bright eyes. "W-where's Sesshoumaru-sama?"

Chouwa looked behind Kunshun, and pointed. Kunshun turned her head to see a large field behind her, and small river, which sparkled. To her left of the field was the garden and the fountain.

"I believe he went to the river, Kunshun-sama."

I wish she'd stop saying the 'sama'. It's so… formal. "Ah… arigatou Chouwa-chan." Kunshun smiled and turned around, walking to the small river.

Behind her, Chouwa's grass eyes glazed over in happiness. Soon she wouldn't be needed here. She turned around and picked up the robes of her kimono, smiling to herself. Rin was going to be so happy…

Kunshun looked around when she was over the small hill like grounds. The small river sparkled and flowers were spread everywhere and…

Why she so interested in the _flowers_?

Kunshun shook her head, and walked toward his scent. Wasn't very hard to find, seeing as he was the only male in the entire grounds, why not just follow the manliest scent here? She spotted his leaning against a tree.

"Sesshoumaru!" she waved.

Sesshoumaru opened one eye to see Kunshun waving at him and walking this way. Why was that girl so happy? She was like an older version of Rin's cute and chipper attitude. _Like Kagome._

Stop thinking of her! He heard something say. Look! You got a sexy young jackal demon living on your grounds! Your _personal_ grounds!

Shut up. He scolded, closing his eye again. The dark safety behind the shade was nice.

No!

Psycho.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!"

He opened his eyes again. She was less then ten feet away, and next to him in a matter of seconds. "Sesshoumaru-sama?" she asked.

"What is it?" Sesshoumaru closed his eyes.

"Who is this… Kagome girl?"

Sesshoumaru's brow twitched. How did Kunshun know of Kagome? How did she even hear of her? Chouwa? The blonde dog demon was talkative sometimes, but… to speak of someone… he wanted as his own?

"…How do you know of her?" he asked, Kunshun 'eeped'. His voice was hard, if not stern. _S…Sesshoumaru?_

"U-Um… Rin-chan…" she said, bringing a palm to her cheek, "Told me about her. I… wasn't quite sure what she meant, though."

Rin…

Sesshoumaru eased himself from his stiff back. He didn't need to get angry. Rin was just a child, it wasn't her fault she talked to the demon about Kagome. _Should I tell her though?_

Kunshun clasped her hands together, looking at his peaceful face. _I hope… he d-doesn't get mad. Please, Sesshoumaru. I'll stay with you… to figure out. _

…To help you out.

* * *

Inuyasha stopped short, causing Miroku to stumble and fall into his back. The houshi sputtered before composing himself together and asking the back of Inuyasha head,

"What's wrong?"

"Something's up ahead…" Inuyasha said. Sango looked over his shoulder to raise a brow.

"Something?" she echoed. "That's vague."

"What do you mean by 'something'?" Kagome asked. "Is it a demon… or not?"

"I can't tell!" he snapped. Kagome's brow furrowed against her skin. _Jerk… _"It doesn't smell like a demon or human!"

"Maybe it's not?" Shippou asked vaguely. Kagome looked at the baby fox. "It may be something else…"

"Like what? Elves?" Inuyasha snapped and turned his head. Apparently he wasn't being a 'loving' parent… Shippou squeaked and ducked into Kagome's dark hair. "Yeah right…"

"Hey!" Sango pointed at some bushes that were moving. "Look!"

The bushes moved and something, or rather, someone stood up strait and walked out of the forestry. Miroku's dark brow raised up and the silver-haired hanyou growled, gripping onto his shakujo. The stranger awfully looked… young.

"Who the fuck are you?" Inuyasha asked Miroku punched him in the arm lightly behind him. He gave a 'what'd-I-do!' look.

"Are you… Inuyasha?" the stranger asked. His squinted his eyes that were a strange amber color.

"Who wants to know?" he asked boredly. _Obviously him…_ Sango thought. She stepped up.

"He's Inuyasha. Who are you?" she asked strongly, and the stranger smiled lightly at her. He was about to answer when Kagome's voice spoke from behind them.

"S-" she stuttered. "S-" her eyes were big and full of surprise. Why was she gaping at the stranger with an odd look on her face and positively… 'freaked out'? "Seifer…kun!"

He smiled at her. "You remember me, eh Higurashi-san?"

"Kagome?" Inuyasha turned to her. "How do you know him?"

"You can't be Seifer-kun!" she said. "Seifer… Seifer's not supposed to be here!"

Miroku looked at the young man. He had short white silver hair that wore a resemblance to the dog demon brothers he knew. He wore some black clothes that were very… strange. It seemed to be made of some material made like Kagome's, even though you'd think they were different versions of their normal clothes, the ones like Inuyasha wore. He had black strange foot clothing that seemed stiff and hard. They sure gleamed in the mid-summer sun. "Seifer… you say, Kagome-sama?"

Seifer smiled brightly. He walked toward them. "Please to meet you…" he stepped toward Sango, who blinked her big eyes at him. "I'm Seifer. And what's your name?"

Kagome raised a hand to her cheek. "But… but…" she looked at him. _He certainly looks like Seifer from class D… although… Seifer had short black hair… not silver. And… and-and he had _blue_ eyes! Not gold!_ Her head snapped up, _Wait… _gold

"Um…" Sango said intelligently. Her sight was suddenly blocked by a mass of dark hair and dark robes. Miroku was in front of her, blocking the stranger's view of her.

"Sango, do not be intimidated by this man." Miroku said. "He's simply trying to get into your-"

"Ahaaa! Seifer-kun! It _really is_ you!"

Miroku was pushed back when Kagome was by Seifer's side and grabbed his hands. "How can you be here? Why are you here? Are you a demon like Katasami-san? Or are you something else-"

"Aaaaeii, Higurashi!" Seifer took a step back. "I don't remember you being frontal like that!"

"And I don't remember you coming back in time and changing your hair!" she said. "Why are you five-hundred years in the past?"

"'Cause I can!" he said, putting a hand over his chest.

"That doesn't explain." Kagome said. "Why?"

"…Because I'm a time-traveler, that's why." He said, looking seriously at her. She made an 'o' with her mouth, softly saying so. "I came here to ask if I could help of a hanyou called 'Inuyasha' but he certainly seems-"

"Hey! I'm right here!" Inuyasha said. "Stop talking about me as if I'm invisible!"

"Why would you want to help Inuyasha?" she asked. Seifer, as much as he could, composed himself while smoothing down his black clothes. Kagome raised a brow at the futuristic clothing.

"You're chasing after Naraku, right?"

Miroku turned all his attention back from groping Sango to stare at Seifer and Sango, her palm lightly smacking his cheek, blinked at him. Kagome stood still, while Inuyasha, being the ever-polite person in the world, spoke.

"Fuck! How do you fucking know 'bout that bastard!"

Kagome looked down to see something was wrong. Because Seifer was rubbing the toe of his shoe in the dirt. Wait, shoe? They looked boots. Combat boots? Motorcycle boots? …Not boots like Sesshoumaru's. Nope. Present time boots. _Wait… why am I interested in boots?_ Remembering some from class, Seifer once (or as many times she saw him which wasn't too often) would do that when he was embarrassed or maybe, uncomfortable talking abut.

"Uhm… why don't we all sit and talk about it?" Kagome suggested, raising an index finger. Sango smiled while Inuyasha crossed his arms and softly "Feh-ed" and sulked behind her. Seifer smiled at Kagome's ever-caring attitude.

"Thank you, Higurashi-san."

* * *

Pausing to brush her bangs out of her eyes, Kikyou stopped her walking and breathed in heavily. What was going on? Why was it so hard to breathe all of a sudden? The weight in her arms was getting point where she could hardly hold it up. The small infant made a sound that sounded much like a whimper. Kikyou opened her dark eyes to look at its face. Kuroinuko, as she had named, eyes were big and glossy, pale skin like her own, and the turf in dark hair on her head was reaching her shoulder with faint curls in them.

"…Why?"

Some was pricking at her eyes. Something moist and foreign to her. She raised a hand to wipe at it, and came away with tears. Why was she even able to have tears? How? She was dirt. Literally… Nothing but a shell of clay and bones, mixed with her gravesite soil. How could tears make themselves in such a body?

…Naraku.

She grunted in disgust. It was like a dirty word. Something that felt, Inuyasha wouldn't even say. Like saltwater being fed to you when you asked for sweet berry water. It left a bad taste in her mouth. Not many a month's earlier Inuyasha had done the same thing to her. But this was… different. This was evil.

Conniving, evil, heartless little speck of shit.

Kuroinuko made another sound, it was different. It had… some kind of human like sympathy. She looked at her, and then before her in the dark trees. She squinted her eyes. What was in front of-

Suddenly Kikyou gasped and clutched her chest, as if touching her heart, and fell to her knees. A sharp pains like a stab was cutting her. She breathed heavily and fast; sweat was dripping from her forehead. What was happening? What was going on? She knelt closer to the ground, and her bangs almost touching the tall soft grass.

Why did her heart ache so?

Kuroinuko started to cry. Loud wails that rung in Kikyou's ears and hurt her chest even more. Why was she hurting so much from this… this… _thing's_ wails?

_She's not mine…_ Kikyou tried to pry a voice out of her head_. It's not mine. This baby's not mine. Not mine. Not mine!_

Kikyou tried to pry a voice out of her head. 

"Not mine!" she yelled, the weight in her arms disappeared. She opened her eyes to see Kuroinuko had fallen to the soft grass, and was still crying. Her forehead was shading to an odd color. Kikyou gasped and backed up, stumbling from her place on the ground to stand, stepping away. Kuroinuko continued to cry.

"What!" she yelled. "What is it! What do you want!" something was pricking at her again. Like a knife drenched in boiled water.

**You.**

"No! Go away! What do you want!"

**_Only you. _**

**_Only YOU._**

"Shut up!" Kikyou raised her tired hands to clutch her forehead. "Leave me alone!"

**Only you…**

**Only YOU...**

_**ONLY YOU…**_

"Shut up!" who was this voice in her head? _In my mind_? Who would want her? Who would want her? Who was there!

Come back to me. Now. Come. Come back to me and join me. Join me and get your revenge…

"No!" she screeched. Kikyou's voice was becoming hoarse. She didn't like to scream. "Forget it! I don't want revenge! I don't want Inuyasha! Leave me alone!"

**No.**

"LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Something stabbed her. In the back. Kikyou fell to the cool grass and coughed. What was this air? That had her coughing before? Something flickered ahead of her, and raised her head, one eye open and the closed tightly, in an attempt to stop the pain.

Something misty and violet clouds were smoking above her.

M…Miasma?

She coughed, and brought her hand to her lips. Kikyou took the hand away when the hacking wad done and stared. There blood on her hand.

_**Blood. ** _

**Blood on her hands.**

**Just like before…**

_I… I can't stay awake. Kikyou's vision was becoming misty and faded. The air was thick and musty too. Kikyou couldn't breathe. It was doubtful she could dissipate into the air. It would be better to just fall apart in the ground… literally._

_I don't want Inuyasha._

_I want to die._

_I know…_

_I know…_

_**You want to die?**_

_What?_

_**You want to die? **__**...I can make that happen.**_

That voice was becoming more recognizable. It was hard before. It sounded raspy like it had been dying. Now it was clearer. And deep too. The air around her was thick and she couldn't breathe, but the voice in Kikyou's head becoming clearer.

_**You want to die.**_

_I want to die happy._

_**You want to die.**_

_I want to die happy…_

_**Dying happy, dying miserably… what's the difference?**_

_Who are you?_

_What are you?_

_**Shouldn't you know…? Kikyou… I expected better of you...**_

"What?" she whispered. It was getting harder to talk. Her vocal cords seemed on fire. Her windpipe burning from the supposed miasma and her lungs stung from the thin air. Who was talking to her? Her mind was fuzzy and felt like she couldn't function properly. She coughed more blood from her lips, before being able to answer again, "What?"

_**Do you still want Inuyasha?**_

_No..._

_**…Then what do you want?**_

_To die..._She stared at the blurry grass. It was dark, cool to the touch, and soft. A nice bed to fall upon… something to feel like a cloud…

_**Then I will put you out of your misery.**_

Something was coming towards her. Kikyou couldn't see what. No aura. No miasma. Nothing. But there was something. Kikyou continued to stare at the ground before her, while whatever was there, raised a sharp object in the air.

"You end has come Kikyou." The voice was small but deep. It was bitter too. Who was Kikyou listening to? Nar… Nara… who was that evil person? Her mind was too muddled and thick to figure out who was there. Was that who there? This, 'Nara' person…?

Something glistened from the dew; the thing in the person's hand, and Kikyou smiled at the grass.

Inuyasha…

Kagome-chan…

I'll miss you.

Nothing was uttered when the sharp object was brought down upon Kikyou's neck, and she fell to the cool grass, it's feeling just what she expected. Her palms to the ground, her head turned its side, and her face peaceful… and smiling.

Though blood flowed down her pale neck, and into the grass. Her heart became slower, and the pain was so great… Kikyou began to feel numb. Her neck, her head, her arms to the tips of her fingers…

The next thing in Kikyou's mind was white, soft things touching her hands and face. Warmth and sun warmed her old cold face, and she smiled happily. It was perfect. Warmth, sun, and she could feel. Really feel! She looked up at the sun. Somewhere in the brightness faces appeared. One waving and tears in eyes while sending a sad smile and the other with an arrogant smile or rather a smirk and their arm around the others shoulder. One with dark hair, the other shining platinum. Were they smiling at her?

I'll miss you two…

.:end of chapter:.

Goodbye, Kikyou-sama. We'll miss you. (Except Kikyou-haters.)


	16. Author's Notice

5.18.05.

Dear reviewing people,

Thank you all for reviewing Love and Ice, it's wonderful to get feedback. I really love it whether it's bad (flames) or good (whatever-you-feel-like-calling.) But… as of affected right now… Love and Ice will be not be updated for some while.

I'm very sorry, but for a while (at least a few months) Love and Ice won't be updated. I do have a personal life, I do have a family… I'm a human being. I might be able to update my other stories, but Love and Ice is not a possibility.

On one note: No one is allowed to continue this. No one is allowed to continue this story. I received an email from someone directly from their address, and what they said was… just plain rude. Sorry… but this is to get my point please read. I didn't change any spelling. This is a copy and paste:

"HOLY SHIT UPDATE YOUR FUCKING STORY! U nnedd to update! your being selfish and a bitch for not updating!. if you cant make a freaking chapter then giv it 2 someone else1! thats wot ur suppod to doo! god! bithc.."

And several other rude accusations...

Let me say this… I'd really like it if I didn'tget burn-to-a-crisp-flames like this. I like reviewers. I am one myself. I like constructive criticism. I like all that jazz… but I don't like it when people tell me to give the story away to someone. But I can't help but think… how can you give your story away? It's yours. This story had been mine for almost a year. I've tried and tried to please myself (and maybe even a few others) but let me remind you… this is my story. I get help from good reviewers and friends, but the plot is strictly mine. As a very odd reason… I seem to notice the ones that flame me only use their real email. Maybe their afraid of posting one to receive flames by other reviewers...?

As to why… I'll list some: this year I graduate from my school to the other in my town, my final exams are next week (which is my last week), I need to find a way to pay for my Sears Driving Summer Course/Hardship/License within the next two months. I'm moving further away from my wonderful connection to the net. If I do not complete these things, I will not have a stable year with my dad. It's just him and me living here now. I do not want to make him angry. Very bad…

So… for now, sayonara.

(A very sorry and sad little fox) Patukum


	17. I Will Appear

Patukum: Kunshun!  
Kunshun: Whaaaat?  
Patukum: I'm back!  
Kunshun: Really!  
Patukum: Yes! If I wasn't, I wouldn't be typing this, would I?  
Kunshun: Nope.  
Patukum: Take heed, reviewers, this fox hasn't given up her first story. Yet.  
Kunshun: Sweet. Say, what happen to those two flamers that got you depressed and made you finally cave in to take a break and in doing so lost your connections that made this story go on hiatus for months?  
Patukum:hides her bloody axe I dunno. I think they ran off to Jamaica. But don't worry readers, I swear on my love for tea that I'll get back to posting chapters. I've been writing, no one's been reading, that's all.

There will be an extremely long author's note at the bottom! I decided that (most) of you have been so good, that you should be treated right to the story. So…

And now for an exciting (or not so) chapter of…

---

Love and Ice

I Will Appear

---

"Seifer-kun?" Kagome asked from the grass. She and Miroku sat on the ground, Kagome sitting across from said time traveler. "Can you tell me _now_?"

Seifer closed his eyes momentarily before sighing an answer, "Are you impatient, Higurashi-san?"

"Yes!" Kagome tightened her fingers against her palms, and leaned forward. "I want to know why my classmate is five-hundred years in the past, why he said he's a time traveler, and why he's got silver hair!"

"Kagome," Sango said on a log behind them. "Maybe you should cool down?"

"Who the fuck cares!" Inuyasha shouted. "You said ya wanna help me? Then help! God, if not get yer ass outta here!"

Seifer blinked. "That's rude…"

Sango turned her head. "Inuyasha, he's here to _help_. If you're not nice he might just get up and leave!"

Seifer turned his gold eyes to Sango and quickly kneeled before her, taking her hands. "Oh Sango-san, how wonderful you are. So beautiful and brave, so headstrong and talented-"

"Oi, jackass!" Inuyasha picked him up by his collar. "Stop flirtin'!"

Kagome stomped up and grabbed Seifer's shoulder, pulling him away from Inuyasha's clawed hands. "Seifer-kun, why don't you just tell us why you're after Naraku? It'll make things easier…"

Seifer slightly smiled. "'Kay," he sat down on the grass again, mostly because Miroku had moved his position from the grass to next to Sango. "Well… it happened a while back, here, not in the present…"

Kagome leaned her chin in her palms, while Inuyasha muttered from beside her. "Fucking jackass… fucking sob story…"

"Shush!" Kagome whispered.

"To begin with…" Seifer glared at Inuyasha, and began telling his sad story, with Naraku being the 'bastard' as Inuyasha had said. "I had a wife, and two children, but… Naraku is responsible for all that's happened…"

_It was supposed to be an ordinary day. My family and I were in the wide fields, playing and having fun. The day was bright, few clouds, and the birds were singing._

_My daughter ran up to me, handing me a bunch of flowers in her tiny hand, before running back to her mother. My daughter, Hoshiko, was so adorable. She resembled my beautiful wife so much, the only thing that separated them was her hair and eye color, which was like my own, silver and gold. Tsunami, my son, tackled and sent them both crashing into the grass. My wife Sakura laughed and set down her flowers in hand to pick them up by their hands. _

I must be the luckiest man alive… I thought.

The small chain on my wrist jingled, and I looked down. My old master had given me this silver chain. He said it would help me find 'auras' since it hard for a time traveler to find them, eventually the spaces between time wear away your powers. Something was coming, so I stood.

Sakura looked up at me, her finely defined face going to confusion. "Seifer? What's wrong?" Only she could tell when I was upset.

"I think I'm going for a walk," I said smiling. "I'll be back later." I didn't want them to worry. Today was a good day. What they didn't know wouldn't hurt them.

Apparently I was wrong.

I walked deeper into the forest, toward what I thought what was giving off the aura. Time seemed to slow, what ever was there had better be important, and I couldn't be wasting my time on some meaningless thing than spend time with my family. Further on I stopped and listened. Now they're something above my head. Above the trees. I hunched down, and tried to concentrate on the power.

Without another second past, I jumped up and landed on a brand just above the canopy. There was a woman on a giant… feather floating above the trees. Apparently I surprised her, because she jumped and the feather rocked till she was farther away.

"Inuyasha?" she whispered.

I raised a brow. This woman was… odd. There were feathers sticking out of her hair. Her hands were clawed like my own, and her ears were pointed (not to mention the shade of her eyes). "Inuyasha?" I asked. My voice was low. "Who is 'Inuyasha'?"

She narrowed her eyes. "No… you're hair is too short." She snorted, the feather started to drift up. I looked up at her.

"Who is this Inuyasha?" I shouted. She paid no attention and turned her head.

"Nothing of your business!" she shouted and flew away. Who was she? And who was this Inuyasha person?

There's no use of thinking about if you don't know… I thought. With a turn I jumped off the branch and started to head back. It was late in the day, surely my family must have gone home by now. So I went in the general direction on our home.

I should have stayed with my family.

When I got to the hut, I didn't hear my wife humming inside. I didn't see her outside with wet rags she would be washing, I didn't see my children playing outside, nor Tsunami's friends yelling his nickname around the bushes while playing a game like they used to. The chain on my arm jingled violently. Something was in the house that was not my family.

_I ran inside… and stopped at the door. My wife was on the floor, cradling her head and her face to the floor. My daughter was in the corner not moving with blood on her arms, and my son was beside a person in a pelt… blood was staining all over his thin kimono. The person in the pelt was holding a rock above my wife's head. _

"What the hell are you doing!" I shouted. My eyes started to itch.

The pelt person turned their head. He didn't say anything. My wife was still shaking on the wooden floor, I could hear her crying. The person in the white pelt chuckled.

"Seifer…" my wife turned her head to me, her voice a raspy whisper. What had this monster done to her! Her eyes were red from crying and blood was trickling out of her mouth.

"Stop it this instant!" I shouted. Tsunami winced. He was barely alive. "Don't you dare you anything to harm-"

"_I wouldn't talk if I were you." The pelt person laughed. "You're not the one whose about to die."_

"_Seifer…" Sakura whispered. "I love you-"_

"_Don't!" I shouted. "Don't say anything! You're going to be alright!" _

"I think not." Said the pelt.

"_You shut up!" I shouted._

"_Seifer, please, be alright?" Sakura whispered. "I regret nothing… I love you."_

"_Sakura!" I shouted._

_Nothing was said when the pelt person threw the rock down, smashing her skull. My brows were twitching, my mouth in a silent scream. Tsunami's shoulder started to shake, his sobs barely readable. My hands clenched at my sides, and my blood boiled. That monster! That monster! How dare he take away my wife! My love! My heart and soul…_

"_Damn you!" I shouted, racing to him. He jumped up and the thin wall over our heads split, a very large hole now there in its place. My hand managed to grab a piece of the pelt, and it ripped, hanging limply from my hand. A dozen brown like tentacles came out and rapped on the rooftop, the walls quaking from the shakes. The person sneered._

"_Seems I've got your wife, son and daughter." He said._

_What! I quickly looked around and my son was nowhere! My daughter was in the corner, but not moving. I looked up, and my son was unconscious on the floating man's pelt. "Tsunami!" I shouted._

"_He can't hear you." Sneered the person. "He's dead."_

"_Then why are taking him!" I screamed, something was pricking at my eyes. If Nami was dead…. Then at least I should give him a proper burial!_

"_I need him."_

_And he disappeared in a cloud of purple mist._

_I cried while holding my daughter in my hands and beside my wife. My little Hoshiko… she was dead! Dead! My wife was gone, and my son was in the hands of that fucking piece of crap!_

_He is going to pay!_

Kagome wiped at her eyes, "That… that was so sad!" she pulled out a handkerchief to wipe under her nose. "Naraku… so… evil!"

Miroku hung his head, closing his eyes. "I see… Naraku is the one who killed your family… how dreadful."

Seifer looked down sadly at his boots. "Yes…" he wiped at his eye.

"Aww!" Kagome said, "You're crying!"

"I am not!" he said. "I just… got something in my eye!"

"Sure." Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

"Be nice!" Kagome sniffled.

"Why should I?" Inuyasha scoffed. "Not my fault the bastard Naraku killed his family and now the guy wants revenge!"

"I have a name." Seifer muttered. Sango patted his shoulder and smiled warmly.

"Don't worry," the taijiya said. "We'll find Naraku and we'll kill him. You'll get your revenge."

"Hey!" Shippou bounced from his spot next to Miroku. "What about the jewel!"

"The sacred jewel?" Miroku blinked his violet eyes. "What do you mean?"

"If dog boy doesn't wish to become a full demon," Shippou chirped while Inuyasha growled, "Then we could, um, wish for Seifer's family back or something!"

"Wouldn't that be a selfish wish though?" Kagome said, a finger to her chin in an attempt to think. "The wish has to be… well, pure. Selfless, right?"

"…Or the wish will be tainted." Sango finished. Kagome and the monk turned their eyes to the ever-thinking clear demon hunter. "But… but what if we wish for something, that will undo the damage Naraku's done…?"

"That may work!" Kagome's eyes brightened.

"Hey!" Inuyasha flexed a clawed hand. "I'm gonna wish on that jewel!"

"But…" Sango said. "But you're wish is…"

"Selfish!" Shippou said, his big eyes closed. "Selfish wishes wouldn't work! Looks like you lose!"

"…Say that again." Inuyasha growled mercilessly, flexing his claws and stalking up to the baby fox.

"Osuwari!"

---

The road to killing was a relatively short one.

To the abomination known as Naraku, he never did his own work. Well, sort of. Usually he'd set the plans, and watch as others did his work, pulling at their puppet strings he kept them on. But since Kikyou was dead, and Kagura was a part of him once more, he had none to do his work. As for Kanna, he devoured her shortly after Kagura. What use was she if left without her so-called sister?

And so the road became longer. He still had the baby. He still had that time-traveler's kids and wife. He could purge. He could go on.

But his lack of breath and the fight of the souls inside were getting to him. He quickly looked out of the dark, towards the entrance at such a distance. They were getting closer.

_Fuck_.

So much for getting the head start.

---

"Swing." Stated Seifer, looking at a half demon with similarities to him. Inuyash swung lightly, not throwing his sword's power out. Seifer shuffled his crossed arms, only to repeat himself.

"Swing."

Inuyasha swung again, only to again hold back his strong arm.

"Swing."

Inuyasha growled and turned around swiftly, to point the tip of his sword to Seifer's neck.

"Well you got the swinging part down." Seifer said, pushing lightly on the sword to turn it away and stepping to the right of the hanyou.

"No shit." Inuyasha barked. "I've done this move before you were even born!"

"Technically that's not true." Seifer raised a finger to the sky. "Since I travel so many times, my birth has gone unexplained, so really I can older than you by at least-"

"Aw shut up." Inuyasha snapped.

"Be nice Inuyasha." Miroku looked up from his search of Seifer's scrolls of parchment. "He's the one who's showing how to throw two attacks, so just bare a smile and achieve what you sought after for this long time; the demon will fall."

Inuyasha blinked.

"Naraku'll die." Seifer said, sighing slightly.

Inuyasha turned an embarrassed shade of red and "keh-ed" turning around to walk back to his spot to practice. "W-Whatever! I just wanna get this stupid move down and go kill him. He's so close, I know it."

Seifer walked toward him, putting a hand to the blade and lifting Inuyasha's arm up. "Now, you need to keep your arm loose enough to turn, but always tight... here... because you could drop the blade if not…" Seifer continued to show the hanyou the basics to adjust his ways forehand, a double move like the one he was being taught could only take so much out of him.

_Naraku's end is coming_. Miroku's eyes looked down to the parchments of time again. He was amazed by the scrolls, how they seems to explain time itself. Stories, the myths proven true... Seifer mist have been something odd. He sat looking for an answer to the question burning to his mind.

_He will be destroyed._

_By who though…_

---

_Time stood still. _

There was nothing.

Everything was black, no light ever shone through the tangles. Everywhere I looked, no eyes shone, no faces peered, nothing. I could hear them. But no one was near me. Echo after echo.

_I miss them._

_I want them back. _

I want out.

You evil conniving bastard. Let me out.

---end of chapter--  
SQUEEEEEEE! hugs all her wonderful reviewers I LOVE YOU GUYS! runs over to Kunshun Kunshun! I updated, for real! …You can put away the knife now.

The story's coming to an end soon. Not now, but later. I know about the InuyashaxKagome angst, and how they seemed normal in the last few chapters, but trust me… all will be explained shortly. Patience grasshoppers, patience…

Congratulations to Jerry for being my seventieth reviewer! I checked my email the other day, and because I like to be organized, I had made a folder especially for reviews. Turns out I have seventy for Love and Ice! I have seventy reviews! So happy… bursts into tears Thank you all. Have some strawberry cake everyone! passes cake out Aaaaand one more thing! For all of you who may have found an interest for Seifer, thank Shadow4d4 (aka Michael :3) for his great ideas and helping me through the days (with or without internet). I love ya Michael. You, like very few, keep me sane.

As an added fact, you will probably remember many characters saying "Be nice" to Inuyasha. Why? Because 1) He's a potty-mouth and since Seifer is new, they want a good impression for Inuyasha. It seems to not be working. I think Seifer's already got an impression on him. And 2) I say that all the time to some people I know. points at my friend Robert _And_ it's a habit. There's your explanation!

Kunshun: You do realize this isn't going to fill their desire for a chapter, right?  
Patukum: Well sue me if I'm busy.  
Kunshun: What are you talking about? Nothing has happened at school to take away your attention toward writing, and you've hit an artist block. What could keep you from writing?  
Patukum: I've been stripped of my privileges of using the net, my only connection is the school library computers, and they hate me. You know they do.  
Kunshun: Oh…yeah. That makes sense. You reviewers better thank the god of sugar she hasn't given up yet.  
Patukum: Fucking right. nodnodnod


End file.
